£12.9m-rated midfielder could be Liverpool’s new ‘Plan A’ after third Romeo Lavia bid is rejected

Liverpool have had yet another bid for Roméo Lavia rejected by Southampton, leaving the Reds in a tough position as the transfer window deadline day looms in the distance. The Reds are in desperate need of at least one new defensive option in their engine room, with Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, and James Milner having all left the club this summer.

Liverpool are eager to get a deal finalised for Lavia but their latest offer of £46 million including add-ons was still not enough to sway the Saints, who are sticking to their £50 million valuation. This is now the third bid Jurgen Klopp and his team have tabled and had knocked back.

The Reds remain keen on Lavia but they are also linked to other options, including André of Fluminense. This transfer link has been up in the air lately, but recent updates suggest a move could well come to fruition this window, despite reports of the Brazilian outlet not willing to sell up until January.

According to Netflu, Liverpool’s latest Southampton snub could see them kick their pursuit of André up a gear. As it stands, the Reds are honing in on the 22-year-old, who has three years left on his current contract with Fluminense. The report claims that André could now go back to being Liverpool’s ‘Plan A’ as they scramble to recruit new midfield options before the season starts. The Brazilian has a Transfermarkt value of €15 million (£12.9m).

Since the exodus, the Stefan Bajcetic is now the only natural No.6 in Klopp’s senior squad, and he has had very limited time in the first team to prove himself. The 18-year-old only made the move up to the first team last year and he made just 11 Premier League appearances before injury ruled him out for the rest of the season. Bajcetic is certainly a talent for the future but Liverpool need a tried and tested powerhouse to plug the gaps left by Fabinho and the rest, which is why they could explore options if they continue to hit roadblocks with Lavia.