Arsenal are eyeing a move for Youssouf Fofana as an emergency alternative option to Declan Rice, according to a report from The Daily Mail.

Are Arsenal signing Declan Rice?

Arsenal are now close to sealing a £105m deal for Rice, with Manchester City dropping out of the race for the West Ham captain, however while talks are progressing, negotiations with West Ham United are still ongoing.

Fabrizio Romano reports the Gunners have offered to pay a £100m fixed fee over the course of four years, however West Ham want that amount to be paid within 18 months.

Although there is still some intricacies to sort out, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs reports an agreement between the two parties is expected within 24 – 48 hours, with the 24-year-old eager to remain in London.

According to report Jacob Steinberg, a deal for the England international is "close now", however the Gunners do have some alternative options if West Ham become unreasonable in their demands, with The Daily Mail reporting they are interested in Fofana.

While the report outlines that the Frenchman is currently viewed as an emergency back-up option for Rice, it also details that both Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey could be on their way out of the club this summer, and Mikel Arteta is planning an overhaul of the midfield, so perhaps both signings are on the table.

Arteta may want to bring in multiple new central midfielders this summer with two likely departing, and the AS Monaco star could be available for a comparatively small fee, with previous reports indicating he could cost €35m (£30m).

Who is Youssouf Fofana?

Fofana has really started to make a name for himself over the past year, making his debut for France in September 2022 after impressing at club level, and he has since gone on to be capped ten times for his national side.

Lauded as "magnificent" by football scout Jacek Kulig, the midfielder is very strong defensively, ranking in the 85th percentile for interceptions per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

An average of 2.56 progressive carries over the same time period ranks the France international in the 86th percentile, and his aptitude for winning back possession, as well as driving forward once he has it, indicates he is a similar player to Rice, who also flourishes in those areas.

With a deal for Rice now very close to completion, Arsenal may choose to hold off on their pursuit of Fofana for the time being, but he could be a fantastic option later in the window.

Liverpool may try and include players in exchange or additional add-ons in their bid to try and sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia this summer, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest transfer news surrounding Romeo Lavia and Liverpool?

According to Sky Sports, Southampton are confident of being able to sell Lavia for the £50 million price tag they are demanding for the Belgium international to leave the South Coast.

Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal have all held conversations with the 19-year-old's entourage over the possibility of signing Lavia; however, his suitors have concerns over the fee quoted for the youngster.

As per The Telegraph, Liverpool may be willing to offload veteran midfielder Thiago Alcantara this window, as he has attracted interest from Saudi Arabia in his services.

In turn, the Reds could turn to Lavia as a potential replacement; nevertheless, his £50 million price is said to be 'too prohibitive' for Jurgen Klopp to consider bidding for the enforcer at present.

Manchester City retain a buyback clause for Lavia that stands at £40 million, which they inserted when he joined Southampton back in 2022; however, it doesn't activate until 2024, enabling rival clubs to steal a march on the Citizens this summer, as per Football Insider.

Of course, the German coach has already made moves in the transfer window to shore up his midfield, with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai joining from Brighton & Hove Albion and RB Leipzig, respectively.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Romano reckons that Liverpool may be cute in negotiations and either include additional add-ons or offer players in exchange to try and seal a deal to sign Lavia.

Romano said: "For Romeo Lavia, the price tag is around £50million.

"But sources believe that maybe, with some add-ons or with a creative formula such as including some players, they can find a way with Southampton to reach an agreement."

Why is Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia so highly regarded?

Shortly after moving to Southampton from Manchester City, Lavia earned high praise from Manchester United legend Paul Scholes, who was speaking on BT Sport quoted by The Daily Mail before the Red Devils took on Southampton at St Mary's last year, as the pundit stated: "He has got a pass in his locker and he is big and strong and likes to defend. He does not want to get forward too much and sits in front of the back four and sets the play in motion from there."

Scholes' summary of Lavia's attributes is a high testament to the 19-year-old's qualities and potential to develop. Unsurprisingly, several elite sides are keen on offering him a return to the English top flight.

Last term, Lavia made 34 appearances in all competitions for Southampton and registered one goal alongside a solitary assist, as per Transfermarkt.

His capacity to efficiently recycle possession will have attracted interest from top clubs. According to WhoScored, Lavia maintained a pass success rate of 86.4% in the Premier League, showing commendable maturity for his age.

Getting stuck in, Lavia also managed to win 93 tackles and interceptions combined, displaying courage and tenacity in the Saints' engine room, as per FBRef.

Lavia looks set for an intriguing next few weeks, where we will find out more about his potential next destination, as an exit from Southampton looks to be nailed on before the end of the window.

With both the Test and the ODI series ending with a 1-1 scoreline, both teams have one last chance to prove who is better

The Preview by Mohammad Isam03-Apr-2017Match FactsTuesday, April 4, 2017
Start time 1900 local (1330 GMT)Bangladesh have lost their last seven T20Is•Associated PressBig PictureBilateral T20Is can become meaningless when fitted towards the end of tours. Teams use these games to prepare for future endeavours and to give the players who had been confined to the bench some game time. As a result, not many of these matches are memorable. But the series between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh has gained importance after stalemates in both the Tests and ODIs.The hosts would consider themselves favourites. They beat both South Africa and Australia away from home and have been bolstered by the return of Lasith Malinga. Additionally, the competition at the top of the order also bodes well for them. They have four openers to choose from: Kusal Perera, who has recovered from a hamstring strain, captain Upul Tharanga, Danushka Gunathilaka and Dilshan Munaweera.Bangladesh would regard the tour as a lost opportunity if they end up not winning any trophies. They struggled in New Zealand and their count of successive T20I losses reached seven, but in subcontinent conditions, they pose a stronger threat.There is very little difference between their ODI and T20I batting line-ups, and this continuity has helped the players feel more secure. On the bowling front, captain Mashrafe Mortaza and Taskin Ahmed have been among the wickets recently, while Mehedi Hasan has taken to limited-overs cricket as well as he did to Tests.Lasith Malinga made a triumphant return to international cricket in Australia last month•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesForm guideSri Lanka LWWWW (completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh LLLLLIn the spotlightAsela Gunaratnewas the most talked-about batsman during Sri Lanka’s last T20I series, and was so with good reason. Having struck back-to-back fifties to help beat Australia in their own backyard, the focus will be on him to repeat the feat at home.Twenty20 is Sabbir Rahman’s favourite format. So far on tour, he has hit two decent forties in the Colombo Test and a fifty in the Dambulla ODI. His fans will be expecting a big one from him now.Team newsKusal has passed his fitness test, and as such, is available for this match. But Sri Lanka were reluctant to say where he would bat, or if he would slot back into the XI. They might have to choose between fast bowlers Vikum Sanjaya and Nuwan Kulasekara. Apart from that, most of the line-up will be similar to the one that played against Australia in February. Left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan, who missed the latter part of the ODI series against Bangladesh, is expected to regain his T20 place.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Danushka Gunathilaka, 2 Dilshan Munaweera, 3 Upul Tharanga (capt), 4 Chamara Kapugedera, 5 Asela Gunaratne, 6 Kusal Perera/ Milinda Siriwardana, 7 Seekkuge Prasanna, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Lakshan Sandakan, 10 Vikum Sanjaya/ Nuwan Kulasekara 11 Lasith MalingaBangladesh are unlikely to tinker with their batting line-up, but they might perhaps mull over Mohammad Saifuddin. The uncapped fast-bowling allrounder could be used to give one of the frontline quicks a break. Left-arm spinner Sunzamul Islam is another option available to the visitors.Bangladesh (possible): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Sabbir Rahman, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mosaddek Hossain, 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Mehedi Hasan, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt.), 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Taskin AhmedPitch and conditionsAn unusually hard surface might afford some help to the fast bowlers early on. The average score batting first in the last five T20Is at the R Premadasa Stadium is 150. Overall, teams that have batted first have won 14 out of 23 completed matches at this venue. There is a slight chance of rain in the evening.Stats and trivia The only two batsmen, out of both squads, to have more than 1,000 T20I runs are Tamim Iqbal (1202) and Shakib Al Hasan (1159). Sri Lanka have won just one T20I at the Premadasa in 11 outings. They have better records in Pallekelle – seven wins out of 11 games – and Hambantota – three wins out of six games. Sri Lanka is one of five countries where Bangladesh have never won a T20I. Sabbir has the most Player-of-the-Match awards (3) for Bangladesh in T20Is.Quotes”We’ve got to be consistent in getting those runs as well, and that has to carry over to the T20 format. In Australia we’ve chased 170-odd as well. Even here, if we can get and chase 180 – scores like that – that would be the best thing.”
“When we played the decider against England in Chittagong [last October], we lost despite having a good record there. So these things don’t really matter much.”

Ross Taylor has declared himself 85-90% fit and should be available to play the Champions Trophy

Firdose Moonda28-Mar-2017

It’s only March but Ross Taylor has come up with a resolution for next year – or maybe just next season – already. “I think I am going to start [keeping count of] how many games I can play without getting injured,” Taylor joked during a stint on the , SkyTV’s daily tea-time interview slot, during the fourth day’s play between New Zealand and South Africa in Hamilton. “Calf, hammies, side-strains, fingers, bones. It’s just disappointing that it’s South Africa I have missed a few times.”Taylor has missed some part of the last three series against South Africa, the first in the aftermath of the captaincy debacle in 2012-13, the second a limited-overs series in 2015 following surgery after a groin injury sustained in Zimbabwe, and now the last two Tests in this series, after tearing a calf in the first.Although Taylor admitted that not having to front up to “Morkel and Rabada is probably not a bad thing,” he said he would like to play as much as he can in the lead-up to the 2019 World Cup, which is being touted as the swansong of his career. His most recent injury has served to spur him on to ensure he gets there. “I just need motivation when things aren’t going well, when you get a bit tired of day-in, day-out cricket, just a nice little reminder to say why you play this game. Hopefully I can get through that.”For now, Taylor has declared himself 85-90% fit and should be available to play the Champions Trophy and the triangular tournament in Ireland, also featuring Bangladesh, which precedes the ICC event. New Zealand will be without their IPL players for that tri-series, which will make Taylor’s presence even more important and he hopes he can play a role in mentoring some of the younger players. “You want to expose young players to get the depth in the squad that we are comfortable with,” he said. “[So] we have 20 players at any time that can be very competitive against any side in the world.”One thing he may not be teaching them is to copy his signature celebration of sticking his tongue out on reaching a century. “I did it when I was youngster growing up – I got a cheeky hundred, I was dropped a couple of times and then I got a cheeky hundred so I did it. When my daughter was growing up, she was 2 or 3, she said, ‘Daddy, can you get a hundred for me and poke your tongue out?’ So that’s what I do now,” he said.Taylor has had the chance to do that in two ODIs and a Test this summer, which is not his best tally but has contributed to what he regards as an overall period of good progress for the team. “It has been a great summer,” he said. “Regardless of what happens [in this Test], it has been a successful summer. We retained the Chappell-Hadlee and got some convincing results against Pakistan and Bangladesh. We could finish off the summer really well with a Test victory here and we’ve seen some young players coming through and some veterans stepping up.”The highlight, though, has been the way Kane Williamson has stepped up to the captaincy. Since taking on the job in July last year, Williamson has scored 1079 runs at an average of 59.94 which includes four Test hundreds. He has also become the fastest New Zealander to 5,000 runs and equalled Martin Crowe’s century haul, and Taylor believes there’s no limit to what he can achieve.”He is only 26. He is in fantastic form and he scored a great hundred here. Add into it how the team played in Wellington, going into a must-win match and having to step up at a crucial time, to get a century here – every one starts talking about how many he is going to get,” Taylor said. “He could go down as our best batsman.”

Celtic forward Jota has “already spoken” to Al Ittihad manager Nuno Espirito Santo regarding a move to Saudi Arabia, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

When did Jota join Celtic?

The Hoops’ left-sided winger permanently arrived in the Scottish Premiership last summer following a successful loan spell the season before from Benfica, as per Transfermarkt, and across both periods north of the border he’s clocked up a total of 83 appearances to date.

During the 2022/23 campaign, the Portuguese starlet firmly established himself as Ange Postecoglou’s overall top-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 7.48 which highlights the significance he has, but with the boss now having left and Brendan Rodgers back in charge, his future is up in the air.

Sky Sports reported just days ago that the 24-year-old had entered advanced talks with Saudi Arabian outfit Al Ittihad, with discussions ongoing in regard to the initial fee and structure of payments – where it was stated that personal terms shouldn’t be an issue – and it sounds like all parties are now confident that a deal will go through.

Is Jota leaving Celtic?

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Romano revealed that Jota is expected to leave Celtic and has even personally chatted to his prospective new manager about the move. He wrote:

“Understand Al Ittihad coach Nuno has already spoken to Jota about his transfer considered imminent and set to be completed next week. Fee gonna be around €30m (£25m), discussions ongoing.”

Whilst Rodgers hasn’t personally worked with Jota, he will have seen the positive impact he’s made since joining from afar – the type of impact which has seen him hailed a “revelation” by Alex McLeish – so trying to retain his services is a no-brainer of a decision.

The Gestifute client posted a remarkable 21 goal contributions (11 goals and ten assists) in 29 Scottish Premiership outings last season which saw him receive five man-of-the-match awards, not to mention that he recorded 80 shots over the campaign which was the second-highest total in Glasgow, as per FBRef.

The Lisbon native also adds wonderful versatility to the manager’s ranks with his ability to operate in six different positions across the pitch, including all across the frontline and even two roles in the midfield, which is yet another great attribute to have at your disposal.

Finally, Celtic have won five trophies following Jota’s arrival which is no coincidence and he’s certainly helped to play his part in the club’s success, so there’s no doubt that this number would only continue to increase should he stay beyond the summer.

While Lehmann lauded O’Keefe, who had returns of 6 for 35 in both innings, he was also fulsome in his praise for Nathan Lyon

Brydon Coverdale26-Feb-2017Steve O’Keefe might not strike fear into the hearts of batsman like Mitchell Johnson did at his pomp, but not since Johnson scythed through England at Adelaide Oval in 2013 has an Australian bowler dismantled the opposition as quickly as O’Keefe did on the second day in Pune.Such was the observation of Australia’s coach, Darren Lehmann, who hailed O’Keefe as “exceptional” in delivering Australia a drought-breaking win on Indian soil. The last time Australia won a Test in India, back in 2004, Lehmann was part of the batting order; this time he was watching on from the dressing room, and liking almost all of what he saw.From putting up a competitive 260 in the first innings to bettering that total in the second innings, Australia’s batsmen found a way to outperform their Indian counterparts on a highly challenging pitch. But the defining period of the game occurred on day two, when O’Keefe snared three wickets in an over and six in the space of 4.1-overs.”An exceptional spell – I haven’t seen that since Mitchell Johnson in the Ashes with England in Adelaide when he tore them apart,” Lehmann said after Australia’s triumph within three days. “We took 7 for 11 and that obviously turned the game.”Johnson’s memorable spell in Adelaide also began with three wickets in an over, and later in the same spell he was on a hat-trick, at which point he had collected five wickets in 18 deliveries. Johnson’s speed and aggression troubled England; O’Keefe’s accuracy and natural variations caused chaos in the minds of the Indian batsmen.”Twelve-for, 6 for 35 in both innings is pretty special,” Lehmann said. “You always hope don’t you, as a player. I actually thought Nathan Lyon bowled just as well, to be perfectly honest. Nathan’s been under pressure from a lot of sources throughout the subcontinent, myself included. I thought he was outstanding in this game. He was brilliant, so both spinners did the job, but Steven was exceptional getting the rewards.”Although O’Keefe was a clear stand-out for the Man of the Match award, Australia had several other contributors to the Pune win – none more so than the captain Steven Smith, who struck 109 in the second innings on a dry and turning pitch. Smith was just the third Australian after Mark Taylor and Damien Martyn to score a second-innings Test hundred in India.”I think it’s probably his best, especially in those conditions,” Lehmann said. “I haven’t seen him so determined. He’s always determined – he’s captain of our country and plays really well obviously, but he knows conditions on that wicket [were difficult]. To make a hundred was very special, so that’d have to be in his top few for sure.”Impressive in a different way was the young opener Matt Renshaw, who was playing his first Test outside Australia, yet handled India’s spinners with aplomb. He top-scored in the first innings with 68 and then added 31 in the second innings, despite struggling with illness.”He hadn’t actually hit the ball that well in our lead-up, but for some reason when he gets out in the middle, he knows exactly what he wants to do and how he wants to do it,” Lehmann said. “So for a 20-year-old that’s pretty special. I think he’ll back that up in Bangalore.”For him to come out, obviously a bit crook here and there, and to bat in different positions and had a clear plan, especially in the second innings, the way he wanted to go about it. That’s good for a young man to have that insight into the game so early.”The early win by 333 runs gives Australia an extra two days to prepare for the second Test in Bangalore, where Lehmann expects a better pitch than the one offered up in Pune. He stressed that the key was now for Australia to back up their win come the second Test next weekend.”I think the way we played, we deserved to win by that much at the end,” he said. “But they’re a quality side for the challenge for our group is to back that performance up in Bangalore. We’re not getting too far ahead of ourselves. India are a quality at home, especially at home I think that’s the first Test they’ve lost in 20 Test matches so they’ll come back pretty hard.”

علّق إريك تين هاج، المدير الفني لفريق مانشستر يونايتد، على تعادلهم في مباراة الأمس مع برينتفورد في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتلاقى الفريقان في إطار منافسات الجولة الثلاثين من البطولة، حيث تعادلا بهدف لمثله (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

كان ماسون ماونت قد سجل هدفًا قاتلًا لـ مانشستر يونايتد، في الدقيقة 96، ولكن لم يفز الضيوف في النهاية حيث نجح برينتفورد في تسجيل هدف التعادل بعد دقيقتين.

وقال تين هاج في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية: “كدنا نفوز في النهاية، ربما لم يكن الأمر مستحقًا ولكن كنا سنحصل على 3 نقاط، ولذلك كان من المخيب للآمال للغاية أن نتعادل في النهاية”.

وأضاف: “كان برينتفورد أفضل منا اليوم، لقد أظهروا المزيد من الشغف والرغبة والتصميم كما فعلنا، جودة هذا الفريق هي أنهم يقاتلون من أجل ذلك، لكن علينا أن نظهر المزيد”.

وواصل: “ليس من المقبول أبدًا أن تظهر الفرق الأخرى المزيد من الشغف والرغبة مقارنة بنا، لقد أظهرنا ذلك أمام ليفربول وفي العديد من المباريات، علينا أن نظهر ذلك على أرض الملعب”.

واستمر: “لقد قاتلنا ولكن في الأشياء الصغيرة، الكرات الثانية وما إلى ذلك، كان برينتفورد أكثر تركيزًا وأكثر عدوانية، كان يجب أن يكون الأمر من جانبنا نحن”.

وأردف: “كدنا نفوز، وكنا سنهنئ أنفسنا على ذلك، ولكن بعد ذلك أهدرنا النقاط الثلاث وهذا أمر مخيب للآمال للغاية، يجب علينا جميعًا أن نقف ونتحمل المسؤولية عن ذلك”.

وعما إذا كان التأهل إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا أصبح صعبًا، رد الهولندي: “هناك العديد من المباريات التي يجب لعبها، دعونا نتقبل تلك النقطة، في النهاية يمكن أن تكون نقطة جيدة للغاية”.

Jason Mohammed, one of the only bright spots to emerge from a series whitewash by England, has been called up to the West Indies T20I squad for the first time. The 30-year old batsman struck back-to-back fifties earlier this month and could be vital to a team missing some of its biggest players.

West Indies T20I squad

Samuel Badree, Carlos Brathwaite (capt), Jonathan Carter, Andre Fletcher, Jason Holder, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Sunil Narine, Veerasammy Permaul, Kieron Pollard, Rovman Powell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor, Chadwick Walton, Kesrick Williams
In: Jonathan Carter, Jason Mohammed, Veerasammy Permaul, Lendl Simmons
Out: Dwayne Bravo, Johnson Charles, Nicholas Pooran

Chris Gayle has not played international cricket since the 2016 World T20. On top of that, Dwayne Bravo’s hamstring injury and Andre Russell’s ban took away two of the world’s best allrounders from Carlos Brathwaite’s side.But there was good news on Friday, when it was learnt that Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Samuel Badree and Lendl Simmons were picked for two of the four T20Is against Pakistan from March 26. A WICB release listing the 16-man squad on Saturday confirmed all four men were available to play the entire series.Left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul also has the chance to be capped for the first time in T20Is. He picked up 12 wickets from eight List A matches in January and February and will likely be the understudy to legspinner Badree and offspinner Narine, both in the top 10 of the ICC bowlers rankings in the shortest format.Batsmen Jonathan Carter, who has recently become a regular in ODIs, and Rovman Powell, whose power-hitting has invoked comparisons with Russell, pushed the number of uncapped players in the squad to four. The experience of Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor and Jason Holder could offset that, although Holder has not played a T20I for West Indies since 2015.

Tottenham Hotspur have started the summer strongly, but to truly usher in a new age, it is their defence that must now be made a priority…

What's the latest on Pau Torres to Tottenham Hotspur?

Now, according to the Daily Mail, it seems this might well be the case. After all, they note that the club are a big admirer of Villarreal's Pau Torres.

Whilst the report notes Aston Villa as the true credible interest, with their pursuit of the Spanish stopper understandable given Unai Emery's familiarity with his game, their reluctance to pay more than £35m could allow the Lilywhites to swoop in. Especially given his release clause reportedly stands at €65m (£56m).

Having already secured a permanent deal for Dejan Kulusevski, and more recently snatched James Maddison from Leicester City, it seems that the hierarchy are prepared to back Ange Postecoglou suitably to help take them back to the top.

How good is Pau Torres?

Having been a star man for the Yellow Submarine for many years, leading to his 23 caps for Spain, the 26-year-old is vastly experienced considering he still has the bulk of his career ahead of him.

Should he choose to spend those prime years in north London, it could provide the perfect springboard for him to become a hero under the Australian tactician. Especially given he will follow Clement Lenglet as his replacement for that left-sided centre-back spot, with the bar hardly being set exceptionally high.

Having spent last term on loan at the club, the Barcelona dud could only muster a 6.65 average Sofascore rating in the Premier League, the third-lowest of anyone within the Spurs squad who started over five games. To be rated as one of the worst players in a team that truly crumbled speaks volumes for his ability to play at this level.

Meanwhile, Torres was maintaining a 7.04 average Sofascore rating in La Liga, building upon his 7.09 figure from the season prior. He has remained a consistently classy asset at the back, with his piercing left foot and powerful physique lending to his success.

The former rating was upheld through 4.1 clearances and 1.3 tackles per game, yet he would also maintain an 85% pass accuracy alongside a 79% dribble success rate, via Sofascore, numbers that eclipse Lenglet in some areas, with the Frenchman posting 2.6 clearances per match and completing just 64% of his dribbles.

Given how Postecoglou will likely instruct his defenders to be the first line of creativity, striding out from the back with poise and purpose to kickstart attacks, there are arguably few more suited to such a ball-playing philosophy than this 6 foot 3 titan.

To emphasise this further, when compared to other centre-backs across Europe, Torres ranks in the top 4% for progressive passes, the top 1% for progressive carries and the top 3% for successful take-ons per 90, via FBref.

A former coach of his, Paco Lopez, always expected great things from his pupil though, as he noted: "I have followed his career, I always had a certain weakness for him.

"I had put my confidence in him, helped him jump up through the ranks. So I was not surprised by his progress, not at all. When we played against Villarreal, I spoke with him for a good while. As always, he is a sensational kid, very humble, the same as when I had him."

Given this effusive praise can be contrasted with the claims of journalist Roy Nemer, who branded Lenglet a "defensive liability" back in 2020, such a switch marks a no-brainer for the Lilywhites who would be sealing a seismic upgrade.

Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia is 'prepared to leave' the Sky Bet Championship side this summer amid interest in his services from the Premier League, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

Which clubs are interested in signing Romeo Lavia?

According to The Telegraph, Liverpool are open to letting midfielder Thiago Alcantara leave the club this window as he has attracted interest from Saudi Arabia, which could potentially pave the way for the Reds to firm up their pursuit of Lavia.

The report states that any departure for Thiago this summer would increase the probability of Liverpool making a 'formal approach' to try and land Lavia; however, his £50 million price tag is said to be 'too prohibitive' to make a move at present and player sales would be needed to accumulate funds for the Reds before they could put an offer on the table.

90min have claimed that Manchester United are also keen on Lavia as Erik Ten Hag aims to add another midfielder to his squad following his successful capture of Mason Mount from Chelsea.

FootballTransfers detail that Arsenal and Chelsea are attracted towards Lavia this off-season, with the outlet indicating that the Belgium international would prefer to join the Gunners over other clubs chasing his signature.

Lavia joined Southampton from Manchester City back in 2022 and the Premier League champions have a £40 million buyback clause inserted into his current terms at St Mary's that will become active in 2024, as per Football Insider.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer guru Romano believes that Lavia will leave Southampton this summer and return to the Premier League to seek a new opportunity to further his career.

Romano stated: “I think it’s going to be crucial to see who’s going to agree [a deal] with Southampton because the player is prepared to leave, he’s prepared to say yes, so it’s about the clubs now and Southampton.”

How good is Romeo Lavia and why is he attracting interest from elite clubs?

Lavia is a talented young midfielder that elite sides feel they can develop into a star of the future and he has already shown encouraging signs in his short time competing in senior football.

Last term, the 19-year-old gained plenty of minutes for Southampton, featuring 34 times in all competitions and notching one goal alongside a solitary assist in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

As per Sofascore, Lavia recorded an average match rating of 6.80/10 for his display in the Premier League last campaign despite Southampton's relegation to the Sky Bet Championship, showing a commendable level of maturity for his age in the engine room.

The Belgian youngster was also able to demonstrate his capacity to drive forward from the middle of the park and help his team in offensive passages of play, successfully racking up 41 shot-creating actions over the course of the season, according to FBRef.

Given that Southampton will be turning out in the English second tier in 2023/24, it is unlikely that Lavia would be willing to stick around and potentially stall his development, especially when some of the clubs keen to sign him have the opportunity to fight for major honours both domestically and on the continent.

It looks now that the question is where Lavia will end up this summer and it will be intriguing to see where he sees best fit to take his next step.