According to
various reports, Chelsea has agreed to buy Romeo Lavia from Southampton for £58 million.
The 19-year-old defensive midfielder is a youth product of Anderlecht who moved to Southampton from Manchester City in 2022. He is a Belgian international. He
played in all 29 games for the Saints last year, contributing to one goal and four assists. When he scored against Chelsea in August 2022, he made history as the first player born in 2004 to score in the Premier League.
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Chelsea has agreed to buy Romeo Lavia from Southampton for £58 million. | Credit: Skysports.[/caption]
Chelsea has officially signed Lavia, who has been extensively speculated to transfer to Stamford Bridge. It's similar to the story of Moises Caicedo, who Liverpool had agreed to sign for £60 million until he changed his mind and preferred to join Chelsea instead.
This week, Lavia will have a medical at Chelsea before signing a five-year contract with the English club. The Chelsea midfield already features stars like Enzo Fernandez, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Lesley Ugochukwu, and now he will be joining them. The addition of Lavia will further strengthen the Blues' midfield after
they recently acquired Moises Caicedo from Brighton for a British record sum of £115 million.
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Chelsea's midfield is bolstered with key young players. | Credit: Janty @janty. | Source: Twitter[/caption]
Lavia's Signing Implication for Chelsea
For Chelsea, signing Lavia was a huge coup. He is one of the best young European midfielders and a potential long-term replacement for N'Golo Kanté, who now plays for Al-Ittihad. Because of his mobility and ability to press high and win the ball back for his team, Lavia is a great fit for Pochettino's approach in the middle.
This team has an eye on the future, as seen by their commitment to invest in promising young players. Many talented young players have signed with Chelsea in recent weeks, and Lavia is just the most recent addition.
Lavia has expressed his gratitude to Southampton for giving him the chance to play in the Premier League and is eager to begin his career with Chelsea. He has also
said that he discussed his choice with Eden Hazard, another Belgian star and Chelsea legend.
“I am very happy to join Chelsea, it is a dream come true for me,” Lavia said. “Chelsea are a great club with a great history and a great manager. I want to learn from them and help them achieve their goals.”
“I want to thank Southampton for everything they have done for me. They gave me the chance to play in the best league in the world and develop as a player and a person. I will always have a special place in my heart for them.”
“I also want to thank Eden Hazard for his advice and support. He is an idol for me and many other Belgian players. He told me that Chelsea is a fantastic club and that I will enjoy playing there. I hope I can follow his footsteps and make him proud.”
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