Back-up option named as new Romeo Lavia bid is rejected

Liverpool have now seen a second bid for Romeo Lavia rejected, while the club are exploring other options if Southampton refuse to come down in their valuation.

19-year-old Lavia has Liverpool's priority target for some weeks now, with the Reds ramping up their interest following the departures of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to Saudi Arabia.

Lavia is seen as a direct replacement for Fabinho in particular, with Liverpool's current first-team squad light on defensive midfield options.

Aside from the exits of Fabinho and Henderson, Liverpool have also lost James Milner this summer, while Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic and Tyler Morton are all recovering from injury, leaving no specialist player fit for the 'number six' role in pre-season.

Speaking ahead of his side's clash with Bayern Munich in Singapore on Wednesday, Jurgen Klopp insisted that while finding solutions within the squad is a 'positive challenge', the club are working on new arrivals.

After seeing an initial offer of around £38m, including add-ons, rejected, Liverpool have returned for number one target Lavia, with much of the reporting claiming that personal terms between the Reds and the player have already been agreed.

Sky Sports' Melissa Reddy has tweeted that the Reds have now 'tabled a bid', which is closer to Southampton's valuation, though still below £40m without add-ons. However, that offer has also been swiftly rejected.

Paul Joyce claims the new bid is £41m, including add-ons — representing a £3m increase on the first offer.

The Saints are understood to want as much as £50m for their star midfielder, and have been buoyed by interest from other clubs including Chelsea, Arsenal and even Manchester United.

Reddy adds that Liverpool are exploring options for other players, if an agreement on price for Lavia cannot be reached, naming Fluminense's Andre as one target.

READ MORE: Andre Trindade — Is the Fluminense star ready to replace Fabinho?

The 22-year-old has also been a target of Fulham, while Football Transfers recently reported that Fluminense are keen to hold onto their midfield until December when the Brazilian season finishes.

The one-cap Brazil international would likely cost far less than Lavia, with a reported price tag of around €25m (£21.5m).