Enzo Maresca claims he’s delighted with the impact of Chelsea player so far under him

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Enzo Maresca has shared that one Chelsea player has really impressed him with his performances since the start of the summer.

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca oversaw his first pre-season this summer, which led up to the weekend’s Premier League opener versus Manchester City. Unfortunately, the Blues kickstarted the campaign with a 2-0 home defeat against the reigning champions.

There were still some positives after Sunday’s loss, including Romeo Lavia. The 20-year-old defensive midfielder stood out for his eye-catching display, and it comes after he played a big role in pre-season as well.

Chelsea fans agreed Lavia was excellent against Man City, so it’s going to be exciting to see what the deep-lying midfielder can do moving forward in his second season with the club.

• READ MORE: Gary Neville reacted to Romeo Lavia’s individual performance against Manchester City

Enzo Maresca praises Romeo Lavia

Maresca has singled out Chelsea’s Lavia for special praise during Wednesday’s press conference.

When asked how Chelsea can replace the Conor Gallagher void, Maresca said via Football.London: “I think in the way we want to play, for sure, unfortunately Romeo [Lavia] last year was not fit. This year, he started very well. He can give us a big help off the ball.”

• READ MORE: Five reasons to get excited about Chelsea star Romeo Lavia in the 2024/25 season

Can Romeo Lavia fight off competition from £100m midfielders?

Chelsea started with the midfield trio of Lavia, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez against Man City a few days ago. We’re guessing it’ll usually be two from those three in the majority of matches this season, though.

Lavia was a £58m signing (BBC) for the Blues from Southampton last year. Meanwhile, Caicedo was a £115m signing (BBC) from Brighton, and Fernandez cost them £107m (BBC) from Benfica.

However, if you’re looking for the Chelsea central midfielder who’s made the greatest early impression under Maresca, Lavia is definitely that individual.

There’s going to be huge debate long-term if Maresca dares to regularly leave a £100m-plus player on the bench, but we’ve seen he’s not afraid to make bold decisions. It’s why the fanbase are warming to him even more with every day that passes.