Liverpool hijacked for ‘very special’ player as Chelsea launch £48m bid

Liverpool risk missing out on Romeo Lavia with Chelsea now launching a bid to sign the Southampton midfielder.

Chelsea are now making their move for Romeo Lavia in the hope of beating Liverpool to the Southampton midfielder.

That is according to The Athletic, who claim that Southampton have received a £48million offer from Chelsea for Lavia.

Talks are believed to be ongoing but this is the closest anybody has come to meeting Southampton’s £50million asking price.

This is terrible news for Liverpool, who have been chasing Lavia for weeks but haven’t yet managed to strike a deal.

A third Liverpool bid – this time worth up to £46million – was rejected by Southampton earlier this week with the Saints standing firm.

Chelsea are now looking to pull off a dramatic hijack, outbidding Liverpool and going very, very close to the price tag.

Much will depend on the structure of the deal here with payment plans and add-ons likely to be crucial.

Liverpool think £50million is too high for Lavia and that means Chelsea could now be in pole position to sign the teenager.

Joe Shields key in Chelsea’s pursuit of Romeo Lavia

Chelsea were always a lingering threat in the race for Lavia and Joe Shields is a big reason for that.

Shields was a youth scout at Manchester City before taking on a bigger role at Southampton.

The Athletic reported last year that Shields was influential in convincing Lavia to join Southampton having worked together at City.

Shields quickly moved on to Chelsea though and his admiration for Lavia means the Blues are very interested.

Add in that Chelsea allegedly had a £50million bid for Lavia rejected just weeks after his Southampton move and it’s clear that Lavia is rated inside Stamford Bridge.

The Blues desperately need midfielders right now and the top target has been Brighton and Hove Albion ace Moises Caicedo.

Yet with Lavia – hailed as ‘very special’ by Jadon Sancho – valued at half the price, Chelsea could now pounce for the Belgian instead and Liverpool empty-handed.