Chelsea interested in summer move for star that Joe Shields will already be aware of
Chelsea “really appreciate” Southampton teenager Romeo Lavia as the Stamford Bridge outfit prepare for the summer window, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has exclusively revealed to GIVEMESPORT.
New Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino will look to put his own stamp on the west London outfit next season.
Chelsea transfer news – Romeo Lavia
As per Daily Express journalist Charlie Parker-Turner, Chelsea are expected to push for the signings of Lavia and Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo this summer, with the former having been in regular contact with the club’s Co-Director of Recruitment and Talent Joe Shields as well as former player Eden Hazard.
Meanwhile, last month The Times reported that the Liverpool had joined the Blues in chasing the signature of Lavia, who will be eager to leave Southampton after the south coast outfit dropped to the Championship.
Both sides are interested in bringing the 19-year-old to their clubs as they look to rebuild their respective midfields and could be able to sign the talented starlet for a fee of £40m.
Meanwhile, Football Insider has claimed that Liverpool have made contact with Southampton to register their interest in Lavia, whilst Arsenal are also keeping tabs on the teenager.
TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has recently told GIVEMESPORT that Chelsea could push to sign the Saints star with the influence of Shields behind the recruitment team.
The Blues had been interested in striking a deal with Sporting Lisbon to sign midfielder Manuel Ugarte but have pulled out of the race after Paris Saint-Germain hijacked a move for the Uruguay international.
And Romano says that Chelsea “appreciate” Lavia because of Shields but have not discussed anything “advanced or imminent.”
What has Romano said about Chelsea and Lavia?
When speaking about Chelsea’s interest in Lavia, Romano told GIVEMESPORT: “We know Chelsea really appreciate the player because of the director of Joe Shields. We will see where they go from that. But at the moment, this is not something advanced or imminent.”
Would Lavia be a good signing for Chelsea?
In his first season of senior football, Lavia has proven that he has the potential to become one of the world’s leading defensive midfielders.
The one-cap Belgium international made 35 appearances for Southampton this term, hitting the back of the net once and providing a singular assist.
But it’s the Brussels-born talent’s defensive stats which make for interesting reading, with the youngster making an average of 2.1 tackles and 1.1 interceptions in the Premier League this campaign, according to WhoScored.
Therefore, if Chelsea are looking to replace N’Golo Kante (advancing in age and out-of-contract), they could have found their ideal long-term replacement plying his trade on the south coast and must move quickly to wade off further interest in his services.