Why Romeo Lavia made transfer U-turn and rejected Liverpool to join Chelsea for £58m

Romeo Lavia has followed Moises Caicedo in rejecting Liverpool in favour of a big-money move to Chelsea - but why did he make that decision?

Having been keen on a potential move to Anfield, Lavia is set to join Chelsea later this week, with the Blues having verbally agreed a £58 million ($74m) deal with Southampton. That follows the £115m ($146m) capture of Caicedo from under the Reds' noses.

After seeing both Jordan Henderson and Fabinho depart for Saudi Arabia this summer, Liverpool are about to miss out on another midfielder in Lavia. The Athletic report that Lavia was left feeling like a back-up option when the Merseysiders tried their damnedest to sign Caicedo ahead of him, and he opted to join the Ecuadorian at Stamford Bridge instead.

Time continues to tick down as the August 31 transfer deadline approaches, with Liverpool needing at least two midfield options to cover their outgoings at a minimum. It's been a poor showing thus far, but they have retained their interest in Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch, among others.

Jurgen Klopp's side face Bournemouth on Saturday at Anfield, bidding to register their first Premier League win of the season.