Chelsea were never close to signing Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia in the January transfer window, as per Fabrizio Romano. The 19-year-old joined the Saints from Manchester City last year and has been impressive for them ever since.
Chelsea Appreciate Southampton Midfielder Romeo Lavia
Southampton to Make Decision on Romeo Lavia Future After Season Ends
The Southampton midfielder was especially impressive in his side’s stunning 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge last weekend, giving Chelsea’s record signing Enzo Fernandez a run for his money. This sparked talks over whether the Blues could be interested in signing him.
Romano adds that while the interest from the London side to sign Romeo Lavia was always concrete, they didn’t make a genuine offer for him and never closed in on his acquisition. That could be because of their desire to seal the deal for the World Cup winner instead.
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Moreover, Southampton didn’t want to sell him – despite being well aware of how much Chelsea appreciate his quality. The Saints are currently trying to get out of the relegation zone and saving themselves from falling down to the Championship remains a priority. Romano also adds that the Saints will make the final decision on the future of Romeo Lavia at the end of the season, which will depend on their Premier League status.
Lavia’s Rise in Premier League Recapped
The Belgian midfielder joined Manchester City from Anderlecht and signed his first professional contract with the Citizens in 2020. He played a few years for their youth academy before making his official debut against Wycombe Wanderers in the Carabao Cup last year.
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After failing to get enough game-time, Romeo Lavia pushed to join Southampton and embark on getting more game-time in the Premier League. He has made 19 appearances for them so far, including 14 in the Premier League. The 19-year-old has earned a lot of praise since his debut, including that from his former City youth academy teammate Jadon Sancho – who dubbed him a ‘very special player’ after Lavia scored his first league goal in his side’s 2-1 win over Chelsea earlier this season.
