Romeo Lavia has been a revelation for Southampton since signing from Premier League champions Manchester City in a £14m deal in the summer, subsequently earning £50m interest in his services from Chelsea back in January.
Indeed, the 19-year-old midfielder was granted a departure from Manchester following Pep Guardiola's acquisition of former Leeds United powerhouse Kalvin Phillips for £45m, with the young Belgian swiftly asserting himself as one of Saints' most coveted items, flourishing despite the tumult of the relegation-threatened campaign.
Interest in the 19-year-old has indeed been intense, and action could be taken from the swirling shark tank of suitors regardless of whether Southampton preserve their top-flight status at the end of the campaign, with Arsenal now considering a swoop.
According to Football Insider, Chelsea and City are joined by Manchester United and Mikel Arteta's north London outfit in pursuing a move, with Lavia fitting the profile of a first-rate midfielder capable of flourishing among Europe's elite.
The report states that the gem 'ticks a lot of boxes' for Arsenal, who might look to act upon their intrigue before Man City's £40m buyback option activates in the summer of 2024.
Should Arsenal sign Romeo Lavia?
The Premier League table-toppers have made remarkable progress this season under their Spanish manager's wing, currently eight points clear at the top of the division – though the second-placed Cityzens have a game in hand – after failing to reach top four for six successive seasons.
Failing to reach next term's edition would be a catastrophic, almost inconceivable failure at this point, with Arsenal currently 22 points clear of Newcastle United, who hang just outside a qualification spot.
And with the crafting of a force to be reckoned with ever-evolving at the Emirates Stadium, securing an illustrious future could receive apt bolstering after procuring Lavia from Southampton's clutches.
Making 24 appearances for his outfit this season, the teenager has scored one goal and assist apiece and has been integral in fighting to secure a place in the English top flight next year.
Hailed as "exquisite" by The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell, Lavia already ranks among the top 18% of midfielders across Europe's major leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 10% for blocks per 90, as per FBref, illustrating a tenacity and vigour to his game that belies his tender age.
Should Arsenal's technical director Edu succeed in a bid, Lavia could well take Granit Xhaka's position in the team, with the resurgent Swiss now one of the centrepieces to his side's labours, although still dispensable if the right man arrives.
Xhaka has been a polarising figure in north London since signing from Borussia Mönchengladbach for £30m in 2016, being stripped of the captaincy in 2019 following disciplinary issues before rekindling his Gunners career and now integral in the club's title-chasing aspirations.
Forging 28 Premier League displays this term, the 30-year-old has scored four goals and supplied five assists, as per Sofascore, completing 86% of his passes and chalking an average rating of 7.02.
Lavia, in retrospect, has recorded a rating of 6.85 and flourished despite the insipid nature of his outfits campaign, completing 87% of his passes and making 1.9 tackles per outing.
At such a young age, the "monster" – as dubbed by journalist Benjy Nurick – holds all the tools to craft an eminent career for himself, and where better to ply his trade than the burgeoning Arsenal squad, where he could indeed take the baton from Xhaka and lead the side to glory.