Arsenal may prioritise spending money on alternative areas of their squad rather than paying a significant fee for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, according to journalist Paul Brown.
What's the latest transfer news involving Romeo Lavia?
According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are keen on bringing Lavia to the Emirates Stadium this summer as Mikel Arteta eyes midfield reinforcements.
Speaking to his Twitter following, Romano delivered an update on the state of play surrounding Lavia's future, stating:
"Arsenal have concrete and strong interest in Romeo Lavia. Relationship is excellent with his camp — talks already took place. Timing will be crucial as Chelsea remain interested. Man United appreciate Lavia but still not advancing. City buy back clause only valid 2024."
In April, Football Insider revealed that it may cost around £45 million for any interested suitors to land the services of the 19-year-old enforcer this off-season, with Chelsea also said to be eager to sign Lavia at Stamford Bridge.
Lavia's buy-back clause that Manchester City have control over from 2024 onwards is rumoured to be set at around £40 million, according to The Daily Mail.
Football London report that the Gunners are also keen on sealing a deal to acquire Rice from West Ham United as a midfield reshape takes priority in north London ahead of next term.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown thinks that due to their pursuit of Rice, any deal for Lavia to join him at Arsenal may fall apart due to their transfer priorities likely involving bolstering different positions rather than securing another midfielder.
Brown told FFC: "I don't think Arsenal will be paying big money for another midfielder if they sign Declan Rice; they have other areas of the pitch they're also trying to improve in. It entirely depends really on what sort of price they'd be quoted. I think at the moment, Lavia is valued at around £45 million and that's probably a bit too high for Arsenal."
Would Romeo Lavia be a good signing for Arsenal?
Lavia is a talented young midfielder who looks to have a bright future in the Premier League and Arsenal may be the ideal environment for him to continue his development moving forward.
In 2022/23, the Belgium international made 34 appearances in all competitions for Southampton, registering one goal and a solitary assist, as per Transfermarkt.
As per WhoScored, Lavia showed maturity for his age in the middle of the park and was a reliable presence in possession for his current employers, maintaining a pass success rate of 86.4% in the English top flight.
FBRef also take into account that Lavia excelled in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions regarding blocks, as he has made an average total of 1.90 per 90 minutes over the last 365 days, putting him in the fourth percentile for this metric.
Arsenal have established themselves as a breeding ground for elite talent and Lavia could be the next on their exciting conveyor belt if both parties can make progress in negotiations.