Chelsea have reached an agreement with Southampton to sign 19-year-old midfielder Romeo Lavia for a whopping £58 million. Lavia had initially attracted interest from both Chelsea and Liverpool, but ultimately chose to join Mauricio Pochettino’s squad at Stamford Bridge.
The young star, who previously played for Manchester City’s academy, was a target for Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool, who sought to strengthen their midfield options. However, Lavia ultimately snubbed the Reds in favor of Chelsea. The deal also includes an additional £5 million in add-ons, bringing Chelsea’s total spending under owner Todd Boehly close to breaking the £1 billion mark.
Lavia, a Belgian international, joined Southampton last season and impressed during his time in Manchester City’s academy. Pep Guardiola opted not to include a buy-back clause in Lavia’s contract when he moved to the south coast club, but City will still receive 20% of the sell-on fee from his transfer to Chelsea, amounting to approximately £11.6 million.
Despite enjoying a breakout season in the Premier League last year with 29 appearances, Lavia was unable to help Southampton avoid relegation. His decision to reject Liverpool means Klopp will now have to explore other options in the remaining days of the transfer window.
After three rejected bids from Liverpool, the midfielder indicated that Chelsea was his preferred choice once they matched Southampton’s asking price. However, Lavia may require some time to regain match fitness before he can compete in the Premier League. Although he participated in Southampton’s preseason tour, he has yet to play a single minute for Russell Martin’s side in the Championship this season.
Overall, this deal signifies another significant investment by Chelsea under the ownership of Todd Boehly and adds to their impressive summer recruitment efforts.
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