According to the Express, Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia spoke with Chelsea hero Eden Hazard about his experience at Stamford Bridge prior to the World Cup and Hazard actively encouraged his international teammate to take the chance to join Chelsea if the opportunity arrives.
It is added that Arsenal and Liverpool are also monitoring Lavia’s situation.
As for Chelsea, they are set to push for the Southampton star this summer after missing out on Manuel Ugarte to PSG. The Blues are long-term admirers of the midfielder and have highlighted him, along with Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, as top targets.
Chelsea saw a £50m bid rejected for the midfielder last summer, but with the Saints now set to be plying their trade in the Championship next season, that price-tag is expected to be lower.
Lavia joined Southampton from Manchester City in 2022 but the Sky Blues still have a buy-back clause active, meaning Chelsea could end up losing out on the Belgian to his former club.
Whether City are actually interested in the 19-year-old remains to be seen, especially if they end up landing Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea.
