Leeds United look set to miss out on signing Manchester City’s Romeo Lavia, with Southampton closing in on the midfielder, according to The Athletic.
The Lowdown: Leeds interest
The Whites have been in negotiations with the Premier League champions over the past seven days regarding a move for Kalvin Phillips. The two clubs have now agreed on an initial £42m fee for Phillips, which could rise to £45m with add-ons.
Leeds were thought to be interested in bringing Lavia to Elland Road in a separate deal, but City were reluctant to part ways with the Belgian, labelled an ‘aggressive’ player by Vincent Kompany and ‘highly thought of’ by City reporter Sam Lee.
The Latest: Saints close to deal
The Athletic provided an update regarding Lavia on Wednesday morning.
They claimed that Southampton are close to completing a move for the 18-year-old, pipping Leeds to a deal in the process.
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The Verdict: Gyabi instead
Even though Leeds were after Lavia, it still looks like Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta may have a chance of landing another City youngster.
News emerged with Phillips’ pending move to the Etihad that teenage midfielder Darko Gyabi could be heading to Elland Road in a separate £5m transfer.
Gyabi has been described as a ‘Rolls Royce’ by Xander Wilkinson and an ‘outstanding signing’ by Harry Brooks, so a transfer should soften the blow when it comes to Lavia.