Chelsea have just made “an ultimate approach” to sign Romeo Lavia after Liverpool saw a £37m bid rejected by Southampton.
That is according to Sacha Tavolieri.
So, what is the latest on Chelsea target Romeo Lavia? Let’s take a look…
What’s the story?
Well – according to Sky Sports – Chelsea were alerted to the fact Liverpool made a bid for the Belgium international on Tuesday, and the Blues are said to be keeping a close eye on the situation as Southampton hold out for £50m.
That has been reinforced by the reliable Fabrizio Romano.
Now – according to Tavolieri – that interest has materialised into an official approach from Chelsea, who seem determined not to miss out on Lavia.
The Belgian journalist believes Chelsea have made an “ultimate” move for the Southampton No.45 thanks to Joe Shields – Director of Talent and Recruitment at Stamford Bridge.
It was the 36-year-old who signed Lavia for Southampton in a £14m deal from Manchester City last summer, having worked closely with the teenager during his role as Head of UK Academy Recruitment for the Citizens before joining the Saints.
In fact, the aforementioned Romano even told Chelsea fans to keep an eye on the situation involving Lavia, purely due to Shields being at Stamford Bridge.
Now, Chelsea appear to have kickstarted their pursuit with an official approach.
What does Romeo Lavia approach mean for Chelsea and Moises Caicedo?
According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea had earmarked Lavia as their alternative to Moises Caicedo.
Therefore, Tavolieri’s update could mean that Chelsea are starting to explore other options, as the Guardian believe talks with Brighton over the Ecuador international have come to a standstill.
Whatever happens, it is pleasing to see Chelsea get involved in the race to sign Lavia, as he is a truly special talent just waiting to be snapped up by a top Premier League side.
Hopefully, Chelsea can sign both him and Caicedo, although with Liverpool pushing hard for the Belgian, you can see why the Blues have decided to ramp up their own interest.