In a recent tweet, journalist Sacha Tavolieri claimed that Arsenal are close to agreeing on a deal with Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia. It has been claimed that the Gunners are hoping to seal a move to bring the Belgian talent to North London this summer.
??? #ArsenalFC close to agreeing personal terms with Romeo #Lavia! #AFC now run the race due to Emeka Obasi’s relationships close to #AFC bosses as explained days ago who wants to anticipated concurrence of #ChelseaFC with an offer to #SaintsFC submitted soon.
⏳ Wait&See. pic.twitter.com/w3Gjf2kDd2— Sacha Tavolieri (@sachatavolieri) June 20, 2023
Lavia’s Impressive Form In The Premier League Last Season
Lavia enjoyed a solid campaign at the St. Mary’s Stadium after he produced a run of impressive performances at the heart of Southampton’s midfield. However, his efforts were not enough to save the Saints for being relegated from the Premier League. The 19-year-old registered one goal and one assist in 35 matches for his current club last season in all competitions.
The Brussels-born sensation proved himself to be a dominant presence at the centre of the park based on his average of 2.1 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, 0.8 clearances and 1.0 dribbles per game in the Premier League. He was even careful when distributing the ball from midfield after completing 86.4% of his attempted passes in the top tier of English football (stats via whoscored).
Lavia is under contract at Southampton until the summer of 2027. Hence, Arsenal will find it difficult to land him on the cheap in this off-season.
Is Lavia A Good Option For Arsenal?
Lavia is a good tackler of the ball and can read the danger quickly to earn the ball back for his side at the centre of the park. He doesn’t mind clearing the danger when the opposition are on the front foot and is a decent dribbler with the ball as well. The Belgian talent is primarily a central midfielder but can also function as a centre-back if asked to do so.
Lavia would add more bite and steel to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta’s midfield department and offer some serious competition for Granit Xhaka, Jorginho and Thomas Partey at the North London club in the coming seasons. He already knows the Premier League well by now and won’t take much time to settle into life at the Emirates Stadium.
At 19, Lavia has the potential to become a generational talent in the future. Thus, he will be an excellent option for the Gunners to pursue in the long run.
