da realsbet： For the second time in a week, the Blues have pinched a midfielder from under Liverpool's noses and the Belgian is an inspired signing.
da apostebet： The transfer window delivers agony and ecstasy in equal measure. Well, unless you're Liverpool fans apparently. The Reds faithful have experienced nothing but pain this week – and it's all Chelsea's fault.
First, the Blues beat Jurgen Klopp and Co to Moises Caicedo, with the Ecuadorian arriving at Stamford Bridge from Brighton in a £115 million ($147m) deal on Monday. Not to worry, the back-up plan was still there: Romeo Lavia. Or so they thought…
Once again, Chelsea were waiting in the wings, and after the player verbally agreed to join, the Blues hammered out a £58m ($74m) agreement with Southampton. It may seem like a lot of money for a player who's made just 29 Premier League appearances during his fledgling career, but the west London's club decision to take a chance on Lavia has the potential to pay off massively.
The Belgian has already dropped hints that he could develop into the complete defensive midfielder, one that could end up becoming Chelsea's lynchpin for years to come…
Getty ImagesThe story so far
Born in January 2004, Lavia started his career at Anderlecht before being snapped up by Manchester City's world-leading academy aged 16 in 2020. A host of other Premier League clubs had been interested at the time, but the Cityzens' pull proved too enticing.
Lavia's decision proved to be an inspired one as he soon started turning heads at the club. Operating in a defensive midfield role – he'd previously been a centre-back – the Belgian was part of the City development side that romped to the Premier League 2 title in 2021 and 2022. He was rewarded with a pair of first-team appearances in cup competitions during the 2021-22 campaign.
Summer 2022 would spell the end of Lavia's promising career at the Etihad, however. Along with Juan Larios, Samuel Edozie and Gavin Bazunu, he was part of the mass exodus of City's young guns to Southampton.
This was Lavia's chance to craft his own Premier League legacy. And while things did not go entirely to plan, he grasped the opportunity to shine with both hands.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesYoung but experienced
Southampton's approach in the transfer market was bold and it soon became clear that not all of the youngsters they'd recruited were equipped for the rigours of Premier League football. Lavia, though, took to his new responsibilities like a duck to water, barely missing a game when he was fit throughout the entire season.
His near ever-presence is made all the more impressive when you consider the player he was tasked with replacing: Oriol Romeu. Jibes have been aimed at Barcelona since their decision to sign him this summer, but Romeu has nearly 200 Premier League appearances to his name and rarely put a foot wrong when he pulled on a Saints' shirt.
Even while carrying this extra pressure, Lavia looked completely uninhibited during his early Southampton career, expressing himself while providing his side with a much-needed layer of defensive protection.
Speak to any regular St Mary's goer and they would not point the finger at Lavia for the club's untimely relegation. Even with James Ward-Prowse netting nine goals from midfield, the starlet still earned the Daily Echo's Player of the Season gong. The official award was skipped by the club for obvious reasons.
Getty ImagesCoolness personified
So, what is it that makes Lavia such an exciting talent? Perhaps the most impressive string to his bow is his staggering composure. Despite his tender years, Lavia is capable of making everything look so effortless.
Even when he is under intense pressure, the clarity of his thought does not diminish. As pointed out recently, Lavia was pressured more times than any other Southampton player last season (18.8 pressures per 90 minutes), but he still managed to register a higher pass completion rate (86.2%) than any of his team-mates.
Delve into the stats a little deeper and Lavia's unflappable nature is even more evident. While being pressured last season, he averaged a pass completion rate of 79%. These numbers are comparable with what Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Thiago Alcantara achieved, two of the best-established deep-lying midfielders in the Premier League.
The term 'press-resistant' has become a bit of a tactical buzzword recently – but it describes Lavia perfectly. He is equipped with a potent arsenal of body feints, dummies and tricks that make him extremely difficult to dispossess.
Getty ImagesLavia's party trick
Last season, he also established a 'signature move' of sorts. During build-up, Southampton's centre-backs would split, with Bazunu often starting proceedings by rolling the ball to Lavia. If someone was bold enough to try and nick it off him, he would simply scan his surroundings, drop his shoulder and leave his marker floundering.
It's something he worked on obsessively during his time with then-City coach and now Leicester boss Enzo Maresca, as he revealed in an interview with GOALback in 2021. "I really enjoy recovering the ball and pass through the lines," he said. "Enzo's helped me a lot with that, always being on the half-turn so I can see the game going forward, so it’s not a problem now. I know that I’ve got my qualities, but if I do something wrong they help me."
Finding a defensive midfielder with this appetite for retaining possession has been one of the key conundrums for England's top sides recently; this is why Rodri and Declan Rice cost so much. However, stick Lavia in the right environment and there's no reason why he can't match or surpass the pair, both of whom of among the best players in their role in world football.