Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, for whom Chelsea reportedly had an offer turned down last summer, has made GOAL’s NXGN Nine 2023.
GOAL has named their pick of the 50 best teenage talents in world football in 2023, with three Chelsea youngsters making the list.
Neither made the final top nine, however, which they claim to be “an elite group” that they believe to be the top of the class.
Interestingly, GOAL mentions that Chelsea made an unsuccessful attempt to acquire one of them; Lavia.
The Blues reportedly offered Southampton £50million for the young midfielder before the end of the summer transfer window just one month after his transfer from Manchester City.
Southampton, who signed Lavia in a deal worth an initial £10.5m with a further £3.5m in add-ons, could have made a significant profit but turned down the proposal.
Lavia’s remarkable debut season is unlikely to save the Saints from relegation, but they might fetch an even higher price from the midfielder than what Chelsea offered if they were to cash in on the player this summer.
Chelsea could still be back with another bid, but GOAL mentions that both Manchester United and Liverpool are now also interested in Lavia.
A recent report claimed that Chelsea had a meeting with Lavia’s representatives over a potential summer move.
The Belgian mainly operates in a holding midfield role and is averaging two tackles and an interception per game in the Premier League this season.
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