Man City transfer contrast to Manchester United and Liverpool FC backs up chairman's point

With Declan Rice bound for Arsenal, the race is on to find the next-best defensive midfielder on the market this summer.

Brighton's Moises Caicedo isn't far away from the gossip columns, but won't come cheap, while Manchester City may persevere with Rodri, Kalvin Phillips and Mateo Kovacic as their number six options.

If the reports are to be believed, Manchester United and Liverpool are searching for a defensive midfielder if one is available, and City academy graduate Romeo Lavia is said to be interesting a number of top clubs - United, for one, are monitoring the Belgian.

City sold Lavia to Southampton last summer for £10.5m, potentially rising to £14m, in a deal that represented good value for a player with only a handful of senior involvements. He had outgrown youth football, and the transfer fee was thought to be worth accepting rather than loaning him out.

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Fast forward 12 months and Lavia played a key role for Southampton last season, despite their relegation. The 19-year-old impressed sufficiently to catch the eye of other clubs, and Southampton are reported to want between £40m and £50m for him, representing huge profit.

City could benefit if Lavia does leave thanks to their 20 per cent sell-on clause, and also have the ability to match any offer Southampton receive for the midfielder, plus an unspecified buy-back clause. That buy-back option is a matter of conflicting reports, with some suggesting it is only active in 2024.

Whatever happens with Lavia, the fact that City's rivals are interested in their academy graduates reinforces the fact that City are doing things right when it comes to maximising value from their