Why Liverpool may sign Romeo Lavia over Khephren Thuram, even if it costs them more money

Premier League rules may see Liverpool opt to sign Romeo Lavia over Khephren Thuram, even if it costs them more money.

Jurgen Klopp is looking to navigate the biggest squad shake-up of his Liverpool tenure, after a disappointing campaign in which the club lost their Champions League status and failed to win a trophy.

The midfield in particular is a position the club are looking to address. Indeed, the Reds already signed Alexis Mac Allister last month, while this weekend saw the arrival of Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig for £60million.

Nevertheless, several midfielders continue to be linked with a Merseyside switch, including Nice’s Khephren Thuram and Southampton’s Roméo Lavia.

Indeed, as per Rudy Galetti, the Reds are moving with speed to lure Thuram to the club amid growing interest from Newcastle United.

Meanwhile, talkSPORT have claimed Liverpool are trying to beat rivals to the signing of Lavia by making an opening bid for the young Belgian.

Lavia over Thuram?

Lavia has reportedly been valued at around £50million by the Saints, while Thuram would be significantly cheaper. Indeed, Galetti claimed Nice have been demanding around £38.6million for the 22-year-old.

Nevertheless, Liverpool could be tempted to sign Lavia over Thuram for one crucial reason - the former would not take up a homegrown slot.

As things stand, Szoboszlai’s signing leaves Liverpool with just one non-homegrown slot remaining before the first-team squad reaches the Premier League limit.

To be classed as homegrown, a player must have been registered to an FA-affiliated club for a minimum of three years before the age of 21. However, clubs can register an unlimited amount of under-21 players beyond the 25-man squad limit.

In turn, Lavia, aged just 19, would not take up a non-homegrown slot despite being from Belgium. And even once he reaches the age of 21 he’ll be classed as a homegrown player by virtue of having played in England for more than three years.

Premier League's Homegrown rule

In 2008, the Premier League introduced its homegrown rule, which stipulates that every team must have a minimum number of players who have either come through the club’s academy or another English side’s academy.

At the end of each transfer window, every Premier League team must submit a maximum 25-man squad list. Of that squad, eight must be homegrown, which then limits a club to a maximum of 17 non-homegrown players.

If a club does not have eight homegrown players, their maximum squad size reduces. In turn, if a club were to have only six homegrown players, they would only be able to name a 23-man squad.