Liverpool eyeing £65m Romeo Lavia alternative who’s ‘incredibly complete’ – journalist

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Liverpool are reportedly in pursuit of new midfielders to replace Jordan Henderson and potentially Fabinho.

The Reds captain has bid farewell to Anfield as he closes in on a move to Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq.

Meanwhile, Fabinho’s prospective move to Al Ettihad appears to be back on after talks reportedly stalled.

Romeo Lavia is reportedly the top midfield target for Liverpool, who are apparently in talks with Southampton over him.

However, there are other midfielders apparently on the Anfield radar, including Cheick Doucoure and Joao Palhinha.

Journalist Neil Jones has written a column on CaughtOffside detailing Liverpool’s renewed midfield search.

He believes Doucoure, who plays for Crystal Palace, is a more realistic target for the Reds than Fulham’s Palhinha.

“Joao Palhinha and Cheick Doucoure have been linked, and of those two I think the latter is far likelier,” wrote Jones.

“Doucoure is four or five years younger. So given his age and the money sort of money that would be required for these players, I think he clearly looks a more realistic target.

“He’s had a decent first season in the Premier League, but I still suspect his asking price quoted from Palace sources of £65-70m would be a little high.

“But similar money for Palhinha from Fulham, who’s 28 years old, makes that one a lot less likely.”

Our view

Liverpool have found themselves in a bit of a difficult situation. This is in wake of the Saudi Pro League’s moves for two of their midfield stars.

Already the Reds lost several midfielders due to expiring contracts. They compensated by bringing in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Now, Liverpool are having to delve into the market again. And it looks like the prospect of spending big money is unavoidable.

Southampton apparently want £50million for Lavia, while Doucoure and Palhinha are likely to cost £65million minimum.

Doucoure is a top talent who has been deemed an ‘incredibly complete‘ midfielder. Former colleague Seko Fofana deemed him ‘one of the best‘ teammates he’s had.

Let’s see what happens in the coming weeks. One thing’s for sure though, the Liverpool midfield is going to have a completely new look.