Southampton's Romeo Lavia and Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat remain players of interest to Manchester United amidst talk of Liverpool's desire to sign the pair, according to the Manchester Evening News.
The Red Devils made Mason Mount their first signing of the summer, acquiring him from Chelsea for a deal worth £60 million. They have now turned their attention towards signing a new goalkeeper following David de Gea's exit. The English giants are widely reported to be edging closer to signing Inter Milan's Andre Onana for £45 million.
Signing a new striker is also high on Manchester United's wishlist. They recently had a player-plus-cash proposal for top target Rasmus Hojlund rejected by Atalanta. Meanwhile, Erik ten Hag's side haven't ruled out the possibility of signing another midfielder, especially if Scott McTominay leaves.
According to the aforementioned source, the Red Devils are among several Premier League clubs interested in Southampton's Romeo Lavia. Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat has long been linked with a move to Old Trafford. With the Saints demanding £50 million for Lavia, the Moroccan is the likelier option for Ten Hag's side.
Manchester United have to act quickly regardless of which player they decide to pursue, as they could soon face increased competition from Liverpool. The Reds have signed two midfielders - Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai - this summer but are in the market for another.
Liverpool have received a £40 million offer from Al-Ittihad for Fabinho. The Brazilian is widely expected to leave after he was left out of the squad for the Reds' training camp in Germany. Jurgen Klopp's side are tipped to step up efforts to sign a defensive-minded midfielder if Fabinho's transfer goes through.
The Athletic reported on Saturday (July 15) that Lavia and Amrabat are among the players under consideration to replace Fabinho. The Anfield outfit also have Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch and Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips on their radar.
Where would Romeo Lavia and Sofyan Amrabat fit in at Manchester United and Liverpool respectively?
Most of Romeo Lavia's 34 appearances for Southampton last season came as a defensive midfielder. At Manchester United, he could play alongside Casemiro in a double pivot. The Belgium international, meanwhile, could replace Fabinho as Liverpool's No. 6.
Sofyan Amrabat, 26, has impressed as a defensive midfielder for both Fiorentina and Morocco. However, he's better suited as a build-up player and could thus excel alongside Casemiro at United, while it's unclear if he can be considered a like-for-like replacement for Fabinho.
It's worth noting that Amrabat worked with Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag at FC Utrecht. The Fiorentina midfielder played 50 games across competitions under the Dutchman and contributed 11 goal contributions. It remains to be seen if a reunion is on the cards at Old Trafford.