Manchester United are believed to be among a raft of Premier League clubs who are interested in a move for Southampton sensation, Romeo Lavia, with the teenage midfielder looking set for a summer switch after just a solitary season at St Mary's.
What's the latest on Lavia to Man United?
As per journalist Miguel Delaney, the one-cap Belgium international appears to be an "option" for the Red Devils once again, with the Old Trafford outfit having previously been linked with a move for the former Manchester City youth star earlier in the window.
Writing in his piece for The Independent, the transfer insider revealed that United are 'considering trying to trump' rivals Liverpool in their bid to land the 19-year-old, with the Merseysiders having only recently seen a £41m offer rejected by the Saints.
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The report suggests that Erik ten Hag will need to shift players from his current squad prior to making a move for the youngster, with the Championship outfit having seemingly slapped a £50m asking price on the head of their prize asset – who is also earning admiring glances from both Arsenal and Chelsea.
What type of player is Romeo Lavia?
As Delaney also reported, the Southampton gem is not the only midfield asset that United are currently showing an interest in, with Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat also a player firmly on Ten Hag's radar, having worked under the Dutchman in the past at FC Utrecht.
It would appear that it is a case of one or the other as far as the Red Devils are concerned, with the Premier League giants set to have to choose between the more experienced option in the form of Amrabat, or the perhaps more exciting, high potential talent in Lavia.
Not only does the latter man already boast the benefit of his prior top-flight experience in English football – having made 29 league appearances for the south coast side last season – but he is also earning rave reviews for his displays to date, with journalist Dean Jones suggesting that the Brussels native is "on the verge of greatness".
A player who typically operates in a defensive-midfield role, Lavia – who has been valued at €20m (£17m) by CIES Football Observatory – could represent a perhaps more suitable heir to Casemiro in that deep-lying berth, with the club seemingly crying out for a figure who can compete and cover for the Brazilian.
While Casemiro shone last season after averaging 4.4 tackles and interceptions last term as a sign of his ball-winning brilliance, young Lavia was not too far behind after averaging 3.2 in that regard – a far better record than Amrabat achieved in Serie A (two tackles and interceptions per game).
That ability to sniff out the danger is also shown by the fact that the teen rock also ranks in the top 4% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for blocks made, while Amrabat, by contrast, ranks in just the bottom 30% in that regard.
Not only a player who could represent a more suitable long-term fit than the 26-year-old Fiorentina man due to his relative youth, but Lavia has also caught the eye due to his ability to drive forward from deep with the ball at his feet as he ranks in the top 25% for successful take-ons – again a far greater return than his midfield counterpart, who ranks in just the bottom 34% for that same metric.
Tipped to be a "top player" by international colleague, Kevin De Bruyne and described as "unbelievable" by ex-Saints man, Nathan Redmond, the sky appears to be the limit for the 5 foot 11 prospect, with Ten Hag having the chance to nurture and develop an exciting young talent next season.
With Amrabat set to turn 27 later this month it may not be too long before the United boss would have to be thinking about acquiring a replacement for the Netherlands-born ace, while in the case of Lavia, he could be the heartbeat of Ten Hag's side for years to come.
