Despite their demotion to the Championship, Southampton remains resolute in their stance of holding out for a £50 million transfer fee. Chelsea had been actively pursuing Moises Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion throughout the summer, yet their £80 million bid was rebuffed, prompting a potential shift in focus towards securing Lavia's services.
Brighton is also unwavering in their valuation of Caicedo, estimated at approximately £100 million. Consequently, Chelsea may now be exploring alternative options.
Nevertheless, talkSPORT has reported that Chelsea's bid hovers around the £48 million mark, slightly below Southampton's valuation for the 19-year-old prospect.
Chelsea's determined approach implies that Liverpool might forfeit the opportunity to secure Lavia by declining to meet Southampton's demands. As the season opener looms just days away, Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool side finds itself lacking a recognized defensive midfielder.
Despite the recent acquisitions of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, both inclined towards attacking play, Liverpool's midfield options currently comprise Thiago Alcantara and Curtis Jones. While Trent Alexander-Arnold's modified role as an inward-oriented full-back might offer some support, the club remains on a quest to replace the departing pairing of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson.
Chelsea, too, has witnessed a significant exodus of midfielders this summer, with N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, and Mason Mount among the departures. Their solitary addition in this position, Lesley Ugochukwu, has been joined by January recruits Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos as potential choices.
The two teams are set to face each other on the Premier League's opening weekend at Stamford Bridge this Sunday. However, Chelsea's pursuit of Lavia implies that the battle on the field may not be the only contest between the sides during this month.
