Liverpool £13m away from striking deal for 'extremely gifted' midfielder

Liverpool are reportedly in the process of bolstering their midfield ranks further to replace two seemingly exit-bound stars.

Jordan Henderson is reportedly closing in on a move away from Anfield to Saudi club Al Ettifaq.

Meanwhile, Liverpool teammate Fabinho appears bound for Al Ittihad.

The Reds have reportedly set sights on Southampton’s Romeo Lavia to help strengthen their midfield ranks.

However, Liverpool appear to have fallen short with their opening offer for the exciting Belgian talent.

According to the Daily Mail, the Reds tried their luck with a bid totalling £37million, but Saints have turned it down.

Liverpool reportedly tabled an offer of £35million up front and £2million in add-ons.

However, the south coast outfit is apparently looking for £50million for Lavia.

Liverpool are expected to return with an improved offer, amid reported interest – and a potential bid – from Chelsea.

Our view

It’s good to see Liverpool push ahead with an offer for Lavia, one of the Premier League’s best young midfielders.

A rejected opening bid is nothing alarming really. The Reds are testing the waters and should come back with a better offer.

However, there is one slighly worrying element, namely Chelsea’s reported interest in Lavia.

With that in mind, Liverpool need to move quickly if they want to win the race for the ‘extremely gifted’ midfielder.

A £50million valuation is fair enough, considering Lavia’s talent, age and potential.

At just 19 years of age, he has already shown he has what it takes to shine in the Premier League.

Lavia’s ceiling is high, and the likelihood is that he’s nowhere near his best form. He really could become a star.

Let’s see what happens in the coming days and weeks. Hopefully the Reds can strike a deal and win the race.