Arsenal are reportedly interested in a Premier League whiz, as Mikel Arteta aims to bolster his squad this summer.
The transfer window officially opened on Wednesday, with the Gunners providing a lot of talk in the ongoing saga regarding Declan Rice’s future.
The Englishman isn’t the only midfielder the north Londoners are chasing, if latest reports are to be believed.
What’s the latest on Romeo Lavia to Arsenal?
As reported by The Guardian writer Jacob Steinberg, Arsenal are interested in Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia.
The report suggests that the Gunners are ‘targeting’ the newly relegated ace with the belief that Arteta is wanting two midfielders this summer with Rice being the priority.
Despite suffering relegation to the Championship, Saints are expected to ask for £45m for the 19-year-old who only signed for the club last summer from Manchester City.
What could Romeo Lavia offer to Arsenal?
Arsenal fell just five points short of claiming their first league title since 2004 this season, with the squad’s lack of depth proving to be a damning weakness in the rear end of the campaign, as club legend Tony Adams explained.
Arteta will aim to challenge again next term, which he could do so should the Gunners add strengthening reinforcements to the side in the bid to close the gap on City.
Hailed as a “monster” by journalist Benjy Nurick, Lavia could be a valuable piece in completing the Spaniard's puzzle to Premier League stardom with strengths in areas critical to making Arsenal tick.
As per Sofascore, the teenager averaged 2.1 tackles per game in the Premier League with an average win rate of 56% in his total duels, flexing his commanding influence defensively in the engine room.
In being able to offer such protection to the defence, Arteta could sign the player as a significant upgrade to current options as well as a player that could excel in playing behind Martin Odegaard.
Arsenal’s captain was named the club’s player of the season for his contributions to 15 goals and seven assists in the dominant campaign, acting as his side’s key creator in the final third.
An area critical to allowing the Norwegian to impose his influence on a game is the protection and ball-playing ability of those behind him, which is something that the 24-year-old could be guaranteed in being teamed with Lavia.
Via FBref, the 19-year-old maintained a passing accuracy of 86.2% this season, making an average of 4.13 progressive passes per 90 to show his ability to distribute the ball tidily in midfield, making him an attractive asset to add behind Odegaard.
With all eyes on Rice, Arteta could take Arsenal to the next level in completing a double swoop for the two stars that shone brightly in the Premier League this season, only time will tell if the Spaniard can get the business over the line.
