Manchester United's hopes of locking down Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia as a long-replacement for Casemiro could be scuppered by interest from Arsenal.
Casemiro has made a significant impact at Old Trafford since his blockbuster switch from Real Madrid last summer, but at 31, Erik ten Hag already has one eye on sourcing a long-term heir for the Brazilian.
Lavia, 19, fits the bill after impressing for Southampton, who have given the former Manchester City youngster his first taste of senior football. The midfielder has been a shining light amid the Saints' troubles in the Premier League and is likely to attract interest at the end of the season regardless of whether or not the club retain their top-flight status.
Ten Hag is already known to be an avid admirer of the Belgium international, but according to The Mail, Arsenal are also keeping a keen eye on the midfielder's development ahead of the summer transfer window.
Mikel Arteta is expected to bolster his midfield options at the end of the campaign in a bid to ensure the Gunners challenge for major honours again next season. And although West Ham captain Declan Rice and Brighton talisman Moises Caicedo are believed to be the Spaniard's top targets, Lavia is also of interest.
The Gunners' presence could pose a problem for Ten Hag, who admitted earlier this week that he is still in the dark over his summer transfer budget. Arsenal, on the other hand, are in line to bank a significant financial windfall after qualifying for next season's Champions League and are likely to hand Arteta a sizeable warchest to improve his squad.
Casemiro has had a transformative effect on a Manchester United team that slumped to their worst-ever finish in the Premier League era last term and results have dipped on occasions where he has been absent.
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Any transfer plans Ten Hag has for the summer, including a move for Tottenham striker Harry Kane, are currently on hold as the Manchester United takeover saga rumbles on.
However, Ten Hag has already confirmed that the club's top priority is acquiring a new striker. He said: “It’s not a secret that over the whole season we had a shortage of No.9s. First, we had the dropout of [Cristiano] Ronaldo, then Antony Martial was often not available, Jadon Sancho was often not available, then you have a shortage of frontline players.
“With less players we have to cover many games, so definitely we need in the frontline players who strengthen the squad. You can approach that from many ways. The typical No.9, Rashford can also play very good as a No. 9 and Anthony Martial is a great No.9.
“We have players who can play in that role but, definitely, we need some offensive players who are really impact players, quality players, who improve the frontline.”
