Last November, in the first half of Liverpool’s Premier League match against Southampton — the Reds’ final game before the World Cup break — center-back Joe Gomez battled for a loose ball just inside the Saints half.
He was up against former Manchester City midfielder Roméo Lavia, who got there first and expertly dinked the ball over his outstretched boot. As Gomez sought to intercede, he carefully moved it onto teammate James Ward-Prowse, and Southampton was able to go back on the offensive.
Jürgen Klopp didn’t realize it at the time, but this was his first view of a player who now appears to be destined for Liverpool.
That fight versus Gomez stood out as a highlight because it showcased Lavia’s outstanding footwork. In his debut year at the highest level, he demonstrated his ability to rapidly gather a bouncing ball and dodge challenges through remarkable close control.
Those abilities prompted Southampton writer Fraser Spinney to compare Lavia to former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba (via This is Anfield), and while Reds fans may scoff at that comparison given that Pogba was largely a $116 million (£90 million/€105 million) disappointment for their archrivals, we’re still talking about a World Cup winner with all the attributes to be dominant in midfield.
Gomez wasn’t Lavia’s only victim; in fact, he developed a practice of bringing in big names in his meetings with some of the division’s top teams.
On the first day of the season, against Tottenham Hotspur, Harry Kane and Dejan Kulusevski rushed on Lavia on the outskirts of his own penalty area, but he easily backheeled through the sliding-doors challenge before being taken down. He doesn’t waste time figuring out how to get out of high-pressure situations.
When Southampton came to Chelsea in February, he shook off Mateo Kovai, jinked past Enzo Fernández, and caused Joo Félix to fall down. He showed the strength required to keep his body between man and ball, as well as the balance that makes him so difficult to dislodge.
He positioned his body as if he was about to withdraw towards his own goal at Old Trafford in March, but then dashed the other way, leaving Jadon Sancho on the floor before nicking the ball past a lunging Antony. This is just one of many times he’s lured players into overcommitting before humiliating them.
Lavia’s agility allows him to keep his opponent wondering about which way he’ll go before quickly changing the ball past them. He doesn’t always need to touch the ball, instead whirling and letting it roll through his legs before running away.
Intriguingly, Spinney compares Lavia’s ability to cover ground and foresee danger to that of N’Golo Kanté, another member of that World Cup-winning France team, though he emphasizes that ‘he has a long way to go’ before he can match him.
You can understand where he’s coming from. Lavia can usually forecast which way the ball will travel by analyzing cues from players’ body shape and glances and then closing off the angle or stopping their dribble.
In terms of game reading and reaction times, he appears to be one step ahead of both his opponent and even his own colleagues. At times, it appears that the man on the ball is taken aback by the speed with which he gets on the scene.
That, of course, is a credit to Lavia’s intellect, which he combines with good ground speed to arrive on time.
The 19-year-old not only patrols the defensive third, but also pushes up into the center third of the field to win possession and cover both wings.
This combination of Pogba and Kanté characteristics makes him a one-of-a-kind number six with a ceiling few in his position can equal.
While the asking price may appear high at first — Southampton wants $64 million (£50 million/€58 million), according to The Athletic — it could turn out to be a steal in the long run.
