Romeo Lavia has joined Chelsea for £58 million from Southampton and will play at Stamford Bridge until 2030, the English club announced on Friday.
The Belgian midfielder has signed a seven-season contract with the Blues, meaning he will play in a Chelsea shirt until 2030. The 19-year-old has been in the spotlight in the summer transfer window as several English clubs wanted to secure his services.
Liverpool were also in talks to sign the Saints star but their dreams were dashed by Mauricio Pochettino’s side, as was the case with Moises Caicedo’s move from Beighton & Hove Albion.
The Stamford Bridge outfit have paid £58 million to Southampton for his transfer – a deal worth an initial £53 million plus £5 million in add-ons.
The Blues tried to sign the young Belgian for £50m on deadline day last summer, but the Saints rejected the London club’s offer. However, this summer the situation has been favourable for Chelsea.
“I can’t wait to meet all my new teammates and build a chemistry together to achieve great things together,” Lavia told Chelsea’s website.
He is now set to compete for a place in Chelsea’s midfield with Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo – the two most expensive players in English football transfer history.
Caicedo arrived from Brighton earlier this month for a reported fee of up to £115 million, surpassing the £107 million the Blues paid Portuguese giants Benfica for Fernandez back in January.
The former Manchester City player was undoubtedly one of the Saints’ key players last season alongside James Ward-Prowse, although both players were unable to avoid a cruel end to the season for their club.
Lavia made 34 official appearances, 29 of them starts, scoring one goal and providing one assist.
Introducing a new Blue! 🔵 pic.twitter.com/vdHynMOMti
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 18, 2023