Chelsea Considering Summer Bid For £50m Midfield "Monster"
Chelsea are considering submitting a bid to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia this summer, according to reports.
Is Romeo Lavia leaving Southampton?
Lavia only arrived on the south coast last summer from Premier League rivals Manchester City, but having impressed during 34 appearances in his debut season, where he established himself as Ruben Selles’ second best-performing defensive player, he’s bound to attract interest now that they have been relegated to the Championship.
The Belgium U21 international still has another four years remaining on his contract at St. Mary’s, though the Sky Blues reportedly have a £40m buy-back clause available to them which they could trigger should they want him to return or to sell him on for a higher fee.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Fabrizio Romano recently revealed that the Blues and Mauricio Pochettino do “really appreciate” the 19-year-old but made it clear that nothing was “advanced or imminent”, though it sounds like they are now thinking about testing the waters in an attempt to bring him to Stamford Bridge.
Are Chelsea signing Lavia?
According to Football.London, Chelsea have Lavia firmly on their "radar" and are "considering making a move" as a cheaper alternative to Moises Caicedo. Todd Boehly and his recruitment team have conducted "extensive scouting sessions" on the midfielder and clearly must have been impressed with what they have seen in order to be weighing up an offer. Southampton are "likely" to demand a fee of £50m to ponder parting ways with their prized asset in the weeks and months ahead.
Should Boehly cash out on Lavia?
Chelsea are reportedly targeting other defensive midfield candidates in the form of Brighton and Hove Albion’s Caicedo, but should they not be successful in their attempts to land Roberto De Zerbi’s star, Lavia would be an excellent alternative having been dubbed a “monster” at the base of midfield by journalist Benjy Nurick.
The Elite Project Group Ltd client ranks in the 96th percentile for blocks and won 35 out of his 60 tackles made throughout the course of the previous term, which was the second-highest success rate out of all of his fellow teammates, as per FBRef, highlighting how strong he is at protecting the backline.
The Adidas-sponsored gem, who has the versatility to operate slightly higher up in central midfield alongside his natural role in front of the defence, can also get involved at the opposite end of the pitch having scored one goal and provided the same number of assists in his opening campaign at Southampton, and he would only excel further under the guidance of Pochettino.