Fabrizio Romano says Chelsea have Romeo Lavia on list of targets

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Chelsea have Romeo Lavia on their long list of transfer targets. The 19-year-old joined Southampton from Manchester City last summer and has gone on to make 24 appearances in all competitions, scoring one goal with two assists.

Lavia has impressed in the South Coast and now has interest from a host of bigger clubs, so he could be on the move this summer. Southampton are at risk of relegation, however, so it’s hard to see the uncapped Belgian staying if they went down.

Southampton are bottom of the table with 10 games remaining, but Lavia might want a move away regardless to further his career. The 19-year-old is fourth in the squad for tackles per game (1.9) and first for fouls won per game (1.8) while averaging one interception per game, so he’s adept at turning over the ball.

Graham Potter has a lot of central midfielders on the books at Chelsea (Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Conor Gallagher, Mateo Kovacic, Enzo Fernández, Denis Zakaria, N’Golo Kanté), but only a few players could remain next season.

Kante has endured an injury-hit campaign, resulting in him being short of playing time, so his future at Stamford Bridge is up in the air. He’s out of contract this summer. Kovacic, whose deal is up next year, has been linked with a move to Manchester United and Liverpool in the last few days.

Gallagher is a talented midfielder but doesn’t regularly start under Potter. He’s amassed only 929 minutes of Premier League football from a possible 2430 (38%) this season. Loftus-Cheek plays as a wing-back not in a central role. And Mount has been linked with a move away. His deal is up in 2024.

So Chelsea need at least one replacement when the transfer window opens and Lavia wouldn’t be a bad option. The Blues have Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham, Borussia Monchengladbach’s Manu Kone and West Ham United’s Declan Rice on their transfer list too, so time will tell who they end up with.

City have a £40m buyback option on Lavia, but reports say Chelsea may have to pay closer to £50m to bring him to West London.