Miguel Delaney has called for Arsenal to keep an eye on Romeo Lavia this summer as an alternative to the pricey Declan Rice.
Lavia and Southampton had their relegation to the Championship confirmed last weekend after a 2-0 loss to Fulham and the Belgian, along with a few other Saints players, is expected to garner plenty of interest this summer.
Arsenal are one of the teams that have been linked with a host of players recently, including Rice and Moises Caicedo, and with the Times reporting last week that the double signing of the midfield pair could cost the Gunners around £170million, Delaney has revealed in his Independent newsletter that Lavia could be a viable alternative for Mikel Arteta’s side.
“Declan Rice has been billed here as perhaps the transfer saga of the summer but there’s another midfielder who could attract much more interest, as much because he’s half the price and a third of the wages.
“That is Southampton’s Romeo Lavia. It is one to watch.”
Chelsea had a £50million bid for Lavia rejected on deadline day at the start of this season by the Saints but with them set to head down into the Championship, teams will be hoping that that price takes a big cut this summer.