Beating Liverpool to the punch, Premier League giants Chelsea have signed midfielder Romeo Lavia from Southampton, tying him down to a seven-year contract. The Blues confirmed the transfer via an official announcement on Friday (August 18).
Liverpool had reached agreement with Southampton, but Lavia wanted Chelsea
Liverpool and Chelsea contested over at least two players this summer, with the Blues coming out on top on both occasions. The Reds first made a move for Moises Caicedo, even reaching an agreement with Brighton & Hove Albion. The player, however, turned the Merseysiders down, choosing the Pensioners instead.
Shortly after the Caicedo snub, the Reds struck a £60 million ($76.24 million) deal with Southampton for Lavia. But once again, the player opted to join the Londoners instead. According to reports, Mauricio Pochettino’s side paid $73.70 million for the player, around $2.5 million less than what Liverpool were offering.
Having lost Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabian teams and then missing out on Caicedo and Lavia, Jurgen Klopp’s side are markedly understaffed in the holding midfield position. Chelsea, meanwhile, are now spoilt for choices in the middle of the park.
Why picking Chelsea? Roméo Lavia: “My feeling is that the project, the ambition and the history were key factors”. 🔵✨
“These three factors were determining my decision to join Chelsea”. pic.twitter.com/3RdFYbVTtk
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 18, 2023
Lavia “can’t wait” to achieve great things at Stamford Bridge
After being unveiled as the west Londoners’ newest signing, Lavia looked excited to be a part of the club’s exhilarating project. Speaking to the club’s official media outlet, the 19-year-old said:
“I’m really happy join Chelsea and be a part of this exciting project. It’s an amazing football club with a great history and I’m really excited to get started.
“I can’t wait to meet all my new team-mates and build chemistry together to achieve great things together.”
Lavia began his career at Belgian side Anderlecht and spent eight years at the club before joining Manchester City’s U18 team in July 2020. After spending a couple of seasons with City’s U21 and U23 sides, Lavia joined Southampton for a $13.36 million fee in July 2022.
Lavia was Southampton’s lone bright spot amid last season’s doom and gloom. The Saints were demoted to the Championship, but Lavia caught the attention of some of Europe’s big clubs with his performances, giving a masterclass in midfield play over 29 Premier League appearances.
The competition will be much stiffer at Stamford Bridge. But given his qualities, Lavia should settle in just fine.
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