According to a report by the Daily Mail, Manchester United and Arsenal are keen on signing former Manchester City wonderkid Romeo Lavia.
The 19-year-old has turned heads with his displays at Southampton since leaving the Sky Blues to join them on a permanent basis. However, it seems as if the Belgian was always destined for greatness, with Kevin De Bruyne once tipping him to become a ‘top player’ via HITC Football.
Now, Manchester United and Arsenal seem to be interested in signing Romeo Lavia, who left Manchester City as recently as this summer.
Manchester United & Arsenal enticed by Romeo Lavia swoop
With injuries and limited playing time meaning that Kalvin Phillips has struggled since joining City, with Pep Guardiola hinting at him to kick on, several fans’ dream scenario remains that the teenager returns to the Etihad Stadium next summer.
However, as the Daily Mail have pointed out, the problem remains that the buyback clause inserted by Manchester City can only be triggered in 2024, which gives Manchester United and Arsenal the golden opportunity of signing him in the summer.
Both clubs are looking to bolster their options in midfield, with Mikel Arteta’s side potentially even considering the prospect of adding two new players next season.
This could be a huge blow for Manchester City
Considering Kalvin Phillips has barely played for Manchester City so far, if he ends up not learning his craft in the following campaign, they could rue their decision not just to keep Romeo Lavia, who is attracting interest from both Manchester United and Arsenal.
Apart from the fact that the buyback clause cannot be triggered until next year, another question mark remains if the youngster would even be open to serving as a backup option to Rodri, considering his stock is at an all-time high.
While the Premier League champions were lauded for how they dealt with the Lavia situation, it may blow up in their face.
