Arsenal reportedly want £38k-a-week midfielder 'much cheaper' than Caicedo

Arsenal have been linked with Southampton’s Romeo Lavia in recent months.

Back in March, Fabrizio Romano claimed that the Gunners have had their eyes on the 19-year-old.

More recently, The Mirror reported that Arsenal were plotting a bid for Lavia.

It’s claimed that a £40million bid will be coming from the Gunners, as they look to land Lavia alongside Declan Rice.

Arsenal could lose key midfielder Thomas Partey this summer, while Granit Xhaka is Bundesliga-bound.

With that in mind, Mikel Arteta and Edu will need to bring in adequate reinforcements in the middle of the park.

At the same time, Arsenal must be mindful of their budget.

Declan Rice is likely to cost around £100million, while Moises Caicedo apparently has a £80million price tag.

Lavia is likely to be around half the price of Caicedo, due to his club having suffered relegation to the Championship.

Journalist Paul Brown, writing on GiveMeSport, reckons Arsenal have moved on from Caicedo.

“Arsenal are clearly trying to revamp their midfield,” he said.

“Lavia would be a much cheaper option than Caicedo.

“I do think Arsenal have moved on from Caicedo now. I think it might depend on the price.”

Our view

Lavia is just 19, so he’s at the start of his career, but he’s incredibly talented and has a very high ceiling.

He joined Saints from Manchester City just last summer and established himself as one of their top players last term.

For such a young player to impress in the Premier League at a struggling club is the sign of an incredible talent.

Lavia is so talented that Goal.com actually deemed him one of the nine best youngsters in world football.

The £38,000-a-week ace made the NxGn Nine 2023 column earlier this year.

He is in with the likes of Gavi, Alejandro Garnacho, Youssoufa Moukoko and Warren Zaire-Emery.

Lavia is definitely a great shout for Arsenal, who could well pick up a bargain considering his talent and ceiling.