Manchester United monitoring Premier League star who Erik ten Hag considers to be long-term successor to Casemiro: Reports
Manchester United are reportedly keeping tabs on Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia with the intention of signing him in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Lavia, 19, has established himself as a vital starter at Southampton since arriving from Manchester City for an initial fee of £10.5 million last summer. He has scored a goal and laid out an assist in 29 games for his club so far.
A right-footed tireless operator blessed with pace and power, the one-cap Belgium international has attracted a lot of transfer interest from a host of Premier League clubs of late. With Southampton looking increasingly likely to relegate this season, the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal have been monitoring the midfielder's development.
As per The Independent, Manchester United are also interested in snapping up Lavia this summer. Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag is a huge admirer of the Belgian, who is viewed as a long-term successor to Casemiro.
Should Lavia secure a transfer to Manchester United in the near future, he would provide competition for places in Ten Hag's double-pivot. After gaining experience, Lavia could replace the aging Casemiro within a few seasons.
Lavia, who has a contract until June 2027 at St. Mary's Stadium, is set to leave this summer irrespective of whether his side survives the relegation scrap or not, as per Football Insider. He is currently valued in the region of £45 million.
To make room for new arrivals, Manchester United are likely to cash in on a few of their first-team stars. The likes of Scott McTominay and Donny van de Beek could be offloaded to accommodate the City academy graduate.
Frank McAvennie makes transfer claim about Manchester United star
Former West Ham United star Frank McAvennie has claimed that Anthony Martial is aiming to secure a permanent move away from Manchester United ahead of the upcoming 2023-24 campaign. He told Football Insider:
"He has been playing better but it is coming to the end of the season, maybe he is playing better because he wants a move. He is a talented boy but you can't play for a club like Manchester United and not put in 100 percent every week. You can't do that at all. Martial, no matter how talented he is, has not been doing it."
Martial, 27, has blown hot and cold under Ten Hag this season. He has started just 13 games across all competitions due to injuries, registering seven goals and three assists in 1101 first-team minutes so far.
The Red Devils are likely to cash in on Martial as he is in the final 14 months of his contract at Old Trafford. They are aiming to rope in a first-team striker this summer to fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo's shock departure.