Chelsea could give a newly relegated Premier League ace a lifeline, as the Blues have shown interest in the midfielder.
It’s been a difficult year at Stamford Bridge, however the good times could return sooner than expected with Mauricio Pochettino set to take the wheel.
One area that the Argentinian will hope to bolster is the side’s competitiveness in midfield, which he could do almost instantly in signing this gem.
What’s the latest on Romeo Lavia to Chelsea?
As reported by The Times, the Blues are one of the clubs monitoring the availability of Southampton starlet Romeo Lavia this summer.
A report from GIVEMESPORT with journalist Rudy Galetti claims that “talks” have started over the midfielder.
The Belgian has had a £40m price tag placed on him by the Saints, who signed him from Manchester City’s academy last summer for a fee in the region of £14m.
What could Romeo Lavia bring to Chelsea?
At just 19-years-old, Lavia was a stand-out performer for the south coast side in a dreary season at St Mary’s.
As per FBref, the midfielder ranks in the top 4% of players in his position in Europe’s top five leagues in terms of blocks per 90 in averaging 1.90, showing his innate reading of the game and ability to break up play.
Once hailed as a “diamond” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Brussels-born gem is a force to be reckoned with in the middle of the park, being competent in both offensive and defensive duties in the engine room.
If the Saints star is to make the move to Chelsea, it could be bad news for the club’s current midfielders, most prominently Conor Gallagher who is already on the fence between being a starter and a rotational player.
In terms of the attributes that are essential to being a strong defensive midfielder in the Premier League, the Englishman falls short of the young Belgian, as noted by their statistics based on this season’s averages.
The 19-year-old gem averages an 86% passing accuracy to the Chelsea man’s 85%, as well as making 1.1 interceptions to his 0.7 per game, as per Sofascore.
Most prominently, the teenager averages 2.1 tackles to the Englishman’s 1.3 per game, showing his ability to win the ball in a critical area.
Having been slammed as a “fish out of water” by Darren Bent on talkSPORT, Gallagher has struggled at times in Chelsea’s midfield in areas where Lavia has blossomed, with the Saints hero dubbed an “absolute monster” by journalist Benjy Nurick.
Pochettino must make changes to the team he will inherit, both significant and those that will improve the quality of the depth that Stamford Bridge has in its arsenal.