Chelsea plotting January move for ex-Manchester City midfielder: Reports
Chelsea are reportedly looking to sign former Manchester City midfielder Romeo Lavia in the January transfer window.
The Belgian made the switch to City in the summer of 2020 before leaving the club for Southampton after a two-year stay in Manchester. He made just two senior appearances for the Cityzens, both coming under manager Pep Guardiola in domestic cup competitions.
Since moving to the Saints before the start of the season, Lavia has seen his stock rise exponentially. He started Southampton's first five Premier League games and scored against Chelsea in his team's 2-1 win at St. Mary's on 30 August.
The Blues have apparently kept tabs on the Brussels-born defensive midfielder and want to bring him to Stamford Bridge on a priority basis. Writing in his column on CaughtOffside (h/t Football.London), football agent Haydn Dodge wrote:
Can only apologise for letting our fans down today. You don’t deserve this. We must pick ourselves up and show a different face and spirit in the next game. https://t.co/pC2SgCbKQs
"One of the players at the top of their list to bring in, in January will be Southampton’s Romeo Lavia."
Lavia is a number six who specializes in the defensive side of the game. The 18-year-old has a long way to go in his playing career and will only improve with time.
However, he is on a long-term contract at Southampton, which only expires in the summer of 2027 which could complicate things for Chelsea. The Saints could see an opportunity to bide their time and cash in on Lavia a few years down the line.
He missed a huge chunk of the season with a hamstring injury but was restored straight to the team once his recovery was complete. Lavia played 56 minutes in the Saints' 4-1 league loss to Newcastle United on 6 November.
The former Manchester City youth academy graduate is a key cog in Southampton's machinery and a move mid-season won't be the easiest task to pull off for Chelsea.
One positive from yesterday it was great to see Lavia make his return from injury unscathed #SaintsFC #DevilTime
89% Pass accuracy
100% Long ball accuracy
100% Dribble success
66% Ground duals won
What a player 🤩 https://t.co/fV1gtCMgd2
Manchester City see off Chelsea in titanic EFL Cup clash
When the third-round EFL Cup draws were made, Chelsea's clash against Manchester City stood out like a sore thumb.
The two giants of English football played out a classic end-to-end cup encounter which ultimately ended 2-0 in City's favor. Riyad Mahrez and Julian Alvarez scored early in the second half to hand their team a morale-boosting win at the Etihad.
The Blues went all the way to the final of the Carabao Cup last season, where they lost to Liverpool on penalties. However, this season, their journey has ended at the first hurdle.