According to Football Insider, Chelsea are pushing ahead with their bid to sign Romeo Lavia, who has also been scouted by Arsenal and Liverpool in recent months.
The 19-year-old joined Southampton from Manchester City last summer and he has been one of their best performers from the centre of the park.
The Belgian has impressed with his workrate and defensive contributions and Football Insider claim that he is expected to leave the Saints this summer.
As per the report, the Saints are prepared to sell him for £45 million. Chelsea are reportedly pushing ahead in their pursuit of the highly-rated midfielder and have held talks with the players representatives.
Talent
Lavia was a relatively unknown talent when he joined the Saints last summer but he has transformed into one of the most sought-after young midfielders.
As per Sofascore, he has completed 87 per cent of his passes in the Premier League this season while winning 2 tackles and nearly 5 duels per appearance.
The Belgian has comfortably adapted to the league’s intensity and there are no surprises that Chelsea are after his services ahead of the next transfer window.
The London giants have started an ambitious project under their new owners and the onus is on pursuing emerging talents who have immense potential.
Lavia definitely falls into that category and Chelsea will be aiming to lure him amid interest from their rivals.
Arsenal and Liverpool have also been mentioned as the player’s suitors. The former are pretty much guaranteed their spot in the Champions League next season.
Taking this into mind, Chelsea won’t have an easy route to signing the youngster but they could persuade him to join with guaranteed first-team football.
Lavia has the ability to become an elite defensive midfielder in future. At Chelsea, he could be a successor to N’Golo Kante, who has not signed a new deal yet.
Kante recently returned to first-team action after a long-term hamstring injury. The Frenchman’s current contract expires at the end of the campaign.
