Southampton were pretty awful last Sunday, with the 3-1 scoreline flattering them in the end, but there was one player in the Saints ranks who really stood out.
That man was Romeo Lavia. The young midfielder is just 19, yet played with such spirit and tenacity all afternoon, giving Bruno Guimaraes a real run for his money.
Not many can dispossess the silky Brazilian, but he was a constant menace, closing him down, snapping into tackles and robbing him of possession in the build up to Southampton’s opening goal.
Lavia completely outshone James Ward-Prowse and looked the real deal. He’s been superb ever since he sealed a £14m move from Man City last summer, always impressing whenever I’ve watched them, but Eddie Howe and members of our recruitment team must’ve been particularly impressed by the way he competed against Bruno, Joelinton and Joe Willock.
I noticed Kieran Trippier went over to console the youngster after the game, as he was visibly gutted to see Southampton lose – moving them one step closer to relegation – after giving his all for the full 90 minutes.
Howe craves midfielders with energy, fight and technical ability. He has all three, along with age on his side and the potential to become one of the best holding midfielders in the league. He won’t come cheap and has been linked with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and former club Man City; who have a buy-back clause that becomes active in 2024. With the latter in mind, this summer could be our chance to pounce on the Belgian star.
I’d be shocked if he wasn’t on our radar – he’s far too good for the Championship and will almost certainly leave – but any prior interest may have gone up a notch after witnessing his huge potential at St James’ Park.
Speaking on his Youtube channel after Sunday’s game, The Mail’s Craig Hope confirmed our interest, saying – “He is someone they like. I think they’ve liked him for a while now.”
I’m sure we’ll ‘like’ a lot of players, but if last weekend’s match was a mini audition for the teenage sensation, he passed it with flying colours and could be one to watch this summer. If we want to bring in some of the best young talent capable of growing with the club, Lavia would be perfect.
“Not many can dispossess the silky Brazilian”
If only that were true!
BykerBill(Quote)