Leeds United are reportedly set to raid Manchester City for their pursuit of midfield whizkid Romeo Lavia.
According to a report from The Athletic’s highly reliable Phil Hay, Leeds United have set their sights on Romeo Lavia. The Manchester City whizkid is one of the most sought-after young talents in the MCFC academy that has produced a slew of top qualities players in recent years.
Leeds United rate Lavia highly due to his impressive performances in the youth competitions. He is already regarded as one of the most gifted players to come out of the Manchester City academy, with many expecting him to make a professional breakthrough in the near future amid interest from Leeds and Southampton.
A defensive midfielder by trade, Lavia had been a member of the Manchester City academy since 2020. During his two years at the club, the youngster has turned many heads in the youth leagues with his performances for the reserve or youth teams.
He has made a name for himself with his hard-working mentality in the middle of the park, coupled with his aggression and fighting spirit. Standing at 1.81m, the 18-year-old whizkid is gifted with the technical brilliance as well, thus making him a well-rounded holding midfielder, who has the room to develop into a top-quality Premier League star.
In light of his success with the youth setups, Lavia has already won two senior appearances for Manchester City. With Fernandinho leaving the Etihad in the summer, he is only expected to earn a more prominent role in Pep Guardiola’s setup in the coming season.
Leeds United, though, are opening up an opportunity for Lavia to earn an early headstart in his professional career. The Whites are currently in pole position to sign Marc Roca from Bayern Munich, but they are keen on adding more depth to the holding midfield role and that is where Lavia comes into the fray.
Manchester City have no intention to offload the 18-year-old anytime soon. But they are open to the idea that his potential sale to Yorkshire could help them ease the operation to sign Leeds’s own homegrown talent in Kalvin Phillips.
The English international has been in contact with Manchester City over a summer move to the Etihad. Although Leeds and City are yet to reach an agreement, one would expect Romeo Lavia may play a vital role in the negotiations, as the two parties look to meet their interests ahead of the new season.
