Chelsea tried to sign Romeo Lavia on transfer deadline day
As per a tweet from Fabrizio Romano (h/t Sun), Chelsea tried to sign young midfielder Romeo Lavia from Southampton on transfer deadline day, but the Saints refused the offer put on the table by the Blues.
It is revealed that Chelsea had offered £50m to sign the 18-year-old, but Southampton responded that the player is untouchable at the moment. Saints bought him from Manchester City in July itself, paying £12m plus add-ons. City have a £40m buy-back clause as well.
Lavia played well against Chelsea in the midweek, scoring a wonderful goal, being an energetic presence in the middle of the park and also being tidy in possession.
No wonder that despite such a short career at Southampton, Chelsea were sniffing around for his signature before the summer transfer window deadline.
Lavia is a Manchester City youth product, who has also represented Belgium at the U-21 level. Last season, the youngster made 20 appearances for the City youth team in the Premier League 2. He is a defensive midfielder by trade, but can also play as a central midfielder if required.
From what we have seen of him in the Premier League so far this season, the 18-year-old does seem to have all qualities needed to succeed at this stage of the competition, despite being so young.
What Chelsea can do is be patient, and let him gain experience and game time at the south coast. Maybe make a bid for him next summer and test Southampton’s waters. By that time, the Blues will have a thorough idea of how the player is coping with the demands of the English top-flight.
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Lavia is a fantastic talent, but trying to buy him weeks after he was signed by Southampton was a bit more than ambitious from the Blues.