Chelsea have submitted a £48m bid for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, with the west Londoners entering the race to sign the Liverpool target.
Liverpool have seen three offers rejected for the 19-year-old this summer, the most recent worth £45m including add-ons.
Southampton are understood to value Lavia at around £50m despite the club’s relegation from the Premier League and the Saints will hope an approach from Chelsea can further drive up the Belgian’s price-tag.
Chelsea made a bid to sign Lavia during last summer’s transfer window, just weeks after the teenager had signed for Southampton from Manchester City, and have now renewed their interest.
Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Chelsea have submitted an offer of £48m for Lavia, who did not feature during Southampton’s Carabao Cup defeat to Gillingham on Tuesday.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side have been in negotiations with Brighton over a deal for Moises Caicedo, but have now bid for Lavia as the Blues look to add depth in midfield.
Chelsea’s interest will be a concern for Liverpool, who are short of defensively-minded midfield options following the sales of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to the Saudi Pro League. The two teams meet at Stamford Bridge this Sunday on the Premier League’s opening weekend.
