Southampton reject Lavia bid from Liverpool - why is the midfielder so widely wanted?

After suffering Premier League relegation last season, it’s no huge surprise that Southampton are said to be resigned to losing highly-rated Lavia this summer.

They might have only signed him 12 months ago from Manchester City, but the teenager’s form in that time has caught the eye of his former club, plus other Premier League big hitters like Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

The latter have already recruited Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai as they continue to implement a much-needed midfielder overhaul.

Lavia has the potential to be an ideal third addition in their engine room and looks more than capable of anchoring the midfield and replacing the waning Fabinho.

Arsenal and Chelsea have also reportedly met his representatives this summer to discuss a potential deal. However, the former’s priority has been getting the Declan Rice deal over the line, while Chelsea are also tracking Brighton's Moises Caicedo as an alternative option.

At this stage, it’s not entirely clear where Lavia will end up this summer. However, we can predict with some credence that it’ll be with one of the Premier League’s top sides and their collective interest in the 19-year-old is a testament to how impressive he performed last season - despite the difficult circumstances surrounding him.

It cost Southampton £14 million to land him 12 months ago, which was a hefty fee for a player who’d managed just two senior appearances at Manchester City. However, their scouting system has long since been admired and the fact the Cityzens put a 20 per cent sell-on clause in the deal - plus a buy-back option that'll be active in 2024 - illustrates both parties had confidence that his ceiling was a high one.

Lavia became an integral member of the Saints’ starting XI almost instantly, with former boss Ralph Hasenhuttl clearly an admirer. Lavia also impressed successors Nathan Jones and Ruben Selles who also opted to keep him in their regular starting line-ups.

The midfielder finished the season having made an impressive 26 starts and racked up 2,230 league minutes, with an ankle injury early in the campaign the only reason he never added more.

So what makes him so good?

Lavia is a reliable and accurate distributor, however, one of his biggest assets is his power and ability to carry the ball up the field - often through the most congested area of the pitch.

This means he’s extremely comfortable dropping into deep areas and receiving the ball under pressure. Many of the top teams in the division aim to press high up the pitch, and their success comes in forcing defensive opponents to receive the ball in tight areas and then panic, leading to them being dispossessed or misdirecting a pass.

Lavia, though, was rarely fazed in those moments. He finished the last Premier League season averaging 32.6 carries per 90 and 1.13 successful dribbles per 90. The latter ranks him in the top 25 percentile for all midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues.

An example of his ability in this regard is below, taken from Southampton's clash against Arsenal last season. Note as he looks to drive forward with the ball, he is immediately faced with pressure from an opponent.

Calmly, Lavia produces an exquisite step over before chopping inside and away from the defender’s challenge.

He then fires a ball out wide to his teammate in support, launching a dangerous attack for his team.

This standout ball-carrying ability is complemented by defensive robustness. He’s excellent at closing space quickly and is a master of sweeping up danger or shutting down counter-attacks as they start to build.

Again ranked against his peers across Europe’s best leagues last season, he was in the top 12 percentile for possessions won. While he ranked in the top 30 per cent for tackles, blocks and interceptions made.

The above in isolation is impressive enough, but the fact he’s achieved it for a side that finished bottom of the league, while still just a teenager, sheds light on why so many of the top clubs across the country are vying for his signature.

It’s little wonder then that he’s being tipped to one day go on and be one of the best defensive midfielders in the country.