Chelsea announced today, Friday, that they have signed Belgian midfielder Romeo Lavia on a seven-year contract from second division club Southampton. British media reported that the 19-year-old player, who was linked with a transfer to Liverpool, has joined the London club for £55 million (approximately $69.96 million). Lavia joined Manchester City at the age of 16 in 2020 but only made two appearances before moving to Southampton in July 2022 for £10.5 million.
Lavia stated, "I am really happy to join Chelsea and be part of this exciting project. It is a great club for football with a wonderful history, and I am truly excited to start this journey." He added, "I can't wait to meet all my new teammates and to bond with them to achieve great things together."
The defensive midfielder participated in 34 matches across all competitions with Southampton and scored one goal, but he could not prevent the team from being relegated to the second division. Lawrence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, the dual sporting directors at Chelsea, said in a joint statement: "He showed his quality in the Premier League last season with Southampton, displaying maturity despite his young age... We believe he is ready to make an impact at Chelsea this season and in the years to come."
