Liverpool are 'in the background' as they prepare to step up their pursuit to land Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news involving Romeo Lavia?

According to talkSPORT, Liverpool are readying an initial offer to try and sign Lavia from Southampton this window and have surpassed Chelsea in the race to sign the £50 million-rated youngster.

Manchester City, Arsenal and the aforementioned Chelsea have also been linked with a swoop for the Belgium international, who impressed last term in the Premier League despite Southampton being relegated to the Sky Bet Championship.

Fabrizio Romano reported back in March that Manchester City have a buyback clause for Lavia that is believed to be set at around £40 million; nevertheless, this option isn't due to activate until the summer of 2024, enabling other suitors to steal a march on the Premier League title holders.

Football Insider revealed last month that even though Liverpool are keen to land Lavia, they do not want to be dragged into a protracted bidding war for his services as Jurgen Klopp steps up his midfield revolution.

Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have joined the Reds from Brighton & Hove Albion and RB Leipzig, respectively. At the same time, more additions to the engine room may arise ahead of this season commencing.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones thinks that Liverpool's pursuit of Lavia could come to the forefront of the Reds' transfer dealings in the near future.

Jones said: "Liverpool are in the background, too, so it's going to be an interesting one. It's one that hasn't really taken centre stage yet, but it's going to soon. I think once that Declan Rice one is out the way, the race for Lavia will really heat up."

Would Romeo Lavia be a good signing for Liverpool?

Lavia is a talented young player who could help refresh Klopp's engine room by adding further depth and potential alongside a protective element in front of the back four for Liverpool.

Last season, the 19-year-old made 35 appearances in all competitions for Southampton, registering one goal and one assist, as per Transfermarkt.

In the Premier League, Lavia also showed commendable maturity for his age and retained a pass success rate of 86.7% for a side that finished bottom of the pile, as per WhoScored.

As per FBRef, the Belgian also excelled in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions in the art of blocks, making 1.90 per 90 minutes encompassing the last 365 days.

Learning from experienced figures such as Fabinho and Jordan Henderson may also be an enticing factor for Lavia to consider as he looks to fulfil his significant potential.

Liverpool may be the ideal destination for the 19-year-old to take the next step in his career following an encouraging campaign at Southampton.