Arsenal are reportedly set to beat Man Utd in the race to sign Southampton star Romeo Lavia this summer, as per The Guardian.
It has been suggested that the Gunners have prioritised bolstering their engine room in this transfer window and want to purchase two new midfielders.
Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo have been mentioned as the primary targets for the North London club and they have already intensified their efforts to sign the West Ham star. It was thought that after securing Rice’s signature, they might formalise their interest in Caicedo.
However, the Ecuadorian is reportedly edging closer to joining Chelsea this summer. So, it seems after accepting defeat in the race to sign Caicedo, Arsenal have decided to shift focus to alternative targets with Lavia now emerging as a serious option.
Battle
It has been suggested that Man Utd are also keen on bolstering their midfield department this summer and have expressed their interest in Lavia.
However, according to the report by The Guardian, it is looking likely that the midfielder ‘will end up’ moving to the Emirates Stadium in this transfer window. So, it appears Arsenal are currently in pole position to purchase the 19-year-old and beat United in this race.
The report further claims that following Southampton’s relegation, the Saints will cash-in on the Belgian over the coming weeks and they are demanding a fee of around £45m. So, the Gunners or the Red Devils will have to spend big to acquire the youngster’s services should they formalise their interest.
After moving to the Saint Mary’s Stadium last summer from Manchester City, Lavia enjoyed a promising debut campaign in the Premier League last season. So, it is not a surprise to see that the youngster has been attracting a lot of interest from several big English clubs over the last few months, including Arsenal and Man Utd.
Lavia is a highly talented midfielder and possesses the potential to become a world-class player going forward. So, he would be a great signing for Arsenal or Man Utd should either club manage to secure his signature.
It is going to be interesting to see whether Arsenal eventually manage to beat Man Utd in this race and sign Lavia in this transfer window.
