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Former Manchester City talent and current Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia remains a player of interest to Chelsea, according to Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri.
Southampton signed Lavia from Manchester City for an initial sum of £12 million in the summer. It did not take long for Chelsea to come knocking on the Saints' door for the exciting midfielder.
Just under two months after moving to St. Mary's, Lavia scored in the Saints' 2-1 win over the Blues in the Premier League. The Stamford Outfit club approached the Hampshire outfit with an offer the very next day.
Chelsea were reportedly prepared to fork out a sum of £50 million to sign Lavia from Southampton on the final day of the summer transfer window. However, the Saints quickly knocked the proposal down.
Three months on, there has been one major change at the London club, with Thomas Tuchel no longer at the helm. The German tactician was notably replaced by Graham Potter in September.
Potter's arrival, though, has not changed the Blues' stance over Lavia, who narrowly missed out on a place in Belgium's squad for the FIFA World Cup. As per Tavolieri, he is still viewed as a potential replacement for N'Golo Kante. The journalist wrote on Twitter:
"Romeo Lavia, the successor to N'Golo Kante? Still in the sights of Chelsea, the midfielder of Southampton is still one of the players targeted by the Blues as a defensive midfielder. To be continued."
Kante has been a key player for Chelsea since joining them from Leicester City in 2016, making 262 appearances across all competitions. However, he has struggled with injuries recently and has his contract expiring at the end of the season.
The London giants are thus said to be on the lookout for a new defensive midfielder. Having established himself as a regular for Southampton at the age of 18, the former Manchester City starlet is viewed as a potential candidate.
Manchester City have a buy-back clause for Chelsea target Lavia
Lavia has played seven Premier League matches for Southampton so far this season. His performances for the Saints have seen him attract interest from the Stamford Bridge club.
However, it is worth noting that he has a contract with the Hampshire outfit until the end of the 2026-27 season. Manchester City, who had the midfielder on their books for two years, also have the option to re-sign him.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Cityzens included a buy-back clause in their deal with Southampton. The agreement allows them to sign Lavia for a sum of £40 million.
