Chelsea's relentless transfer pursuits seem set to carry on into this summer transfer window, as Todd Boehly seeks to hand his manager-elect Mauricio Pochettino the best possible foundation for instant success.
What's the latest on Romeo Lavia to Chelsea?
That's according to Football Insider, who revealed that the Blues remain heavily interested in Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia.
Such is their desire to sign him, the report states they are making a big push to pry him from the already-relegated Saints, with their incoming Argentinian manager supposedly a 'huge' fan of his.
It is expected that a more concrete approach will be made once the new head coach is in place, although a deal has already been agreed for the former Tottenham Hotspur boss.
Talks have been ongoing for months over a move, but Manchester City's £45m buy-back clause, which only becomes active in 2024, is adding a ticking clock over a potential deal.
How good is Romeo Lavia?
Given the 19-year-old has just enjoyed his first full season in senior football, the comfort with which he took to the Premier League was truly astounding.
Despite the south coast outfit's failures likely being rooted in their reliance on youth, it seems that Lavia was one such asset that did not wilt despite a lack of experience to surround him. His 6.83 average rating actually puts him within the top six performers at his club, yet it is his defensive excellence and comfort on the ball that truly makes him stand out.
An 86% pass accuracy gives way to two tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game, whilst his 70% dribble success rate only emphasises just how press resistant the teenage star is, via Sofascore.
Such poise and grace mixed with a steely work rate, alongside their shared nationality, makes it hard not to draw comparisons to a former Pochettino favourite in Mousa Dembele.
His 2015/16 campaign in north London, arguably the apex of his career, saw his 7.41 average rating upheld by a 90% pass accuracy, 92% dribble success rate and 3.6 tackles per game, via Sofascore. Truly unattainable levels.
However, Lavia is certainly well-versed in those key assets, with plenty of time for the young "monster", as branded by journalist Benjy Nurick, to grow into such a role.
Transfer insider Dean Jones offered his solution for Pochettino to find his newest iteration of the 35-year-old, first outlining what made Dembele so special before presenting the former Citizens' youth product:
"His strength was, er, his strength! Yet he combined that power on the ball with brilliant awareness, incredible technical ability and a poise that made him so difficult to beat in a one-on-one battle.
"The signing of Romeo Lavia from Southampton would pretty perfectly fit the bill in this sense and that is helpful – because he is already on their watchlist for a summer transfer."
Given how imperative the ex-Belgian international was in laying the foundation for such steady progress at White Hart Lane, Pochettino will be keen on attracting Lavia, as arguably the ideal man to be moulded in his image.
