Romeo Lavia has been left on the bench for Southampton’s Championship opener versus Sheffield Wednesday this evening.
The Belgian midfielder has been the subject of two transfer bids from Liverpool of late, the most recent of which was a package worth £41million.
Southampton are believed to be holding out for a fee of £50m as they look to maximise profit on a player purchased for an initial £10.5m only last summer.
James Ward-Prowse, who is also being linked with a move away from the South Coast club, has been named in Russell Martin’s starting eleven though there was no space in the squad for defender Tino Livramento as his £40m move to Newcastle United edges closer.
Asked earlier this week about the future of Lavia and Ward-Prowse, Martin told reporters: “Both will be involved on Friday night, as it stands. I don’t know what will change between now and then
“Do I think they will be Southampton players by the end of the window? I have not got a clue. What I hope and what I think are probably very different.
“However, it would be pointless to come out and say I think they’ll be here or I don’t because ultimately I have no control over that really. If they’re both not here at some point or one of them isn’t it will be because the club and the player have both had something that is beneficial for everyone.
“I think that’s why it has dragged on so long so far and I think it might continue to drag on, but both of them while they have been here have been great, at very different stages of their career.”
