Liverpool now ‘benefitting’ after £58m star rejected move to Anfield

Liverpool now ‘benefitting’ after £58m star rejected move to Anfield

Liverpool have not been counting the costs after missing out to a Premier League rival for a £58million star

HIGHLIGHTS
Redmen TV presenter Paul Machin believes Liverpool missing out on the signing of Romeo Lavia has turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
The Belgian ended up choosing to join Chelsea in a £58million deal despite the Merseyside outfit being willing to part with more cash.
Lavia’s spell at Stamford Bridge has not got off to the perfect start as he is still waiting to make his debut after being forced onto the sidelines through injury.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will ‘benefit’ from Romeo Lavia’s decision to join Chelsea instead of heading to Anfield after a glaring ‘mistake’ has come into focus, Redmen TV presenter Paul Machin has told GIVEMESPORT.

Although the Reds were not afraid to splash the cash during the summer window, having spent close to £150million on fresh talent, they were unable to win the race for Lavia’s signature as they aimed to profit from Southampton’s relegation to the Championship.

Liverpool transfer news – Romeo Lavia
Lavia opted to head to Chelsea in a £58million deal from Southampton, according to Sky Sports, despite Liverpool being willing to part with a more significant sum during the closing stages of the transfer window.

The Merseyside giants’ desire to acquire the 19-year-old was clear as they agreed a £60million fee with his then-employers, but they were unable to convince him to head to Anfield instead of Stamford Bridge.

Lavia ended up signing on the dotted line in west London, committing his long-term future to Chelsea by penning a £45,000-per-week contract which is due to run until the summer of 2030, but his spell in new surroundings has not gone to plan.

The defensive midfielder is still waiting to make his debut and will not be in contention to feature until after the international break due to suffering a setback in his recovery from an ankle injury.

Lavia had been in-demand after making 34 appearances for Southampton last season, but he was unable to help them stave off relegation to the Championship.

Although Liverpool lodged a number of proposals, with the south coast club initially holding out for £50million, Klopp was forced to turn his attentions elsewhere during the final days of the summer window.

Lavia made ‘mistake’ by choosing Chelsea over Liverpool – Paul Machin
Machin believes Lavia joined a number of big-money stars in making an error by linking up with Chelsea following Todd Boehly’s £4.25billion takeover of the capital club last year.

The Redmen TV presenter also feels heading to Stamford Bridge a matter of days after Moises Caicedo sealed a £115million move from Brighton & Hove Albion was a poor choice as the fellow defensive midfielder’s arrival will hinder the Belgian’s game time, but the decision has worked out favourably for Liverpool.

Machin told GIVEMESPORT:

“I think everyone who chose to sign for Chelsea in the last 18 months has made a mistake. Lavia is the least high-profile of those, to be honest.

“He has made a mistake because, ultimately, if he wanted to play football, going to Chelsea after they had just broken the British transfer record by signing a defensive midfielder in Moises Caicedo didn’t seem like the smartest move.

“That club is a mess. Chelsea is an absolute mess of a football club from top to bottom right now. It’s a shame for Lavia because he is a talented boy, but he was overpriced for where he was in his development. He’s made a mistake joining Chelsea, but it’s actually probably been to Liverpool’s benefit.”

Read More: Every VAR Apology From PGMOL After Woeful Luis Diaz Mistake In Spurs Vs Liverpool

£50k-a-week star proving to be better option than Lavia
Lavia’s snub resulted in Klopp parting with £16.2million, according to Sky Sports, to sign Japan international Wataru Endo from Bundesliga side Stuttgart during the final days of the transfer window.

Although the 30-year-old has been restricted to less than 400 minutes of action since arriving on Merseyside, chalking up a solitary assist along the way, it is more than can be said for Lavia due to his injury woes.

Endo penned a £50,000-per-week contract when he agreed to join Liverpool and, considering the fees being paid nowadays, he could prove to be a bargain if he goes on to enjoy similar success at Anfield as he did in a Stuttgart shirt.

The defensive midfielder made 133 appearances for the German outfit, wore the captain’s armband regularly and registered 27 goal contributions along the way as he became one of the first names on the team-sheet.

Statistics highlight that Stuttgart’s loss is Liverpool’s gain and Liverpool should have been targeting Endo before they attempted to acquire Lavia, who has only been handed 29 Premier League outings during the early stages of his career.

Wataru Endo’s statistical averages per 90 minutes vs Romeo Lavia for the 2022/23 season

Wataru Endo

Romeo Lavia

Goals

0.15

0.04

Assists

0.12

0.00

Progressive passes

5.26

4.13

Attacking third tackles

0.28

0.16

Dribblers tackled

1.17

0.85

Clearances

1.94

0.93

All statistics according to FBref

Klopp identifies Premier League winger as potential Salah replacement
Liverpool have rekindled their interest in Wolverhampton Wanderers talisman Pedro Neto, according to FootballTransfers, after Saudi Arabian admirers of Mohamed Salah are refusing to go away.

But the report suggests the Reds are not willing to meet the West Midlands outfit’s current valuation of the £50,000-per-week earner, with there being fears that his price tag will increase further if other suitors head to the negotiating table.

Arsenal, Aston Villa and La Liga heavyweights Atletico Madrid are also keen on landing Neto, who has made an eye-catching start to the season by racking up five goal contributions in seven appearances.

Liverpool’s biggest challengers for the Portugal international’s signature could prove to be Arsenal as respected journalist Ben Jacobs recently told GIVEMESPORT that the north Londoners have historical interest.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Danny Rust
(710 Articles Published)
Danny is a sports journalist who has more than a decade-worth of experience. Having initially joined Snack Media in 2021, Danny has also written for publications such as the Essex Echo, The Non-League Paper and Shoot.