Lavia denied Liverpool transfer audition as Klopp handed Mac Allister boost

06 August 2023 , 04:00

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Liverpool have one final pre-season fixture to play before they make the trip to big-six rivals Chelsea on the opening weekend of the new Premier League season.

In previous summer transfer windows, the Reds have faced accusations of being too inactive and missing out on targets that would have drastically improved the squad. That isn't the case this summer, with Jurgen Klopp's men already landing the signatures of World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

However, Liverpool's summer spending is not expected to stop there as a the saga for Southampton's talented teen Romeo Lavia continues to drag on. With that in mind, here are some of the main transfer talking points regarding the Reds on Sunday, August 6.

Lavia denied Reds audition

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Romeo Lavia was an unused substitute for Southampton's most recent fixture (Matt Watson/Southampton FC)

Lavia was forced to make do with a watching brief as Southampton kicked off the new Championship season with a 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday on Friday night.

The 19-year-old midfielder has been heavily linked with a move away from the Saints following their relegation from the Premier League back in May and Liverpool have already seen two substantial offers for the talented teenager rejected this window.

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Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Saints boss Russel Martin said: "Both will be involved as it stands, I don’t know if anything will change between now and then. Do I think they will be Southampton players by the end of the window? I have not got a clue. What I hope and what I think are probably very different."

However, Martin went back on his word and left Lavia on the bench. There is growing confidence among those at the top of the Anfield hierarchy that a deal for the Belgian can be reached.

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Liverpool's squad valued

Jurgen Klopp has been a shrewd operator in the transfer markt (Getty Images)

Transfermarkt's market values suggest Reds boss Klopp paid roughly the right combined amount for their summer signings, albeit the wrong way round.

They have £35m Alexis Mac Allister valued more highly than Dominik Szoboszlai, who arrived with a higher price tag.

Liverpool's most valuable player isn't record signing Darwin Nunez, nor is it leading man Mohamed Salah. Instead, that honour goes to Luis Diaz, who is valued at £64.6m.

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Mac Allister makes defensive vow

Alexis Mac Allister has reflected on his first day at Liverpool (Getty Images)

Alexis Mac Allister has addressed comparisons made likening him to fellow Argentine and former Red Javier Mascherano, but insisted they are hardly similar.

"We are not similar players, to be fair, but I know how Liverpool fans like that kind of game," he told the club website.

"It's about a mix of everything. I try to be good on the ball but once we don't have the ball I try to do my best to recover it. Hopefully, defensively, I can do a little bit like Mascherano."