Premier League capital rivals Arsenal and Chelsea are, once again, on a possible collision course for the same player in the upcoming summer window after reports that Belgian international starlet Roméo Lavia has emerged as a transfer target for the London pair.
Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano spoke on his YouTube channel earlier today while detailing the growing interest surrounding the 19-year-old Brussels native and former RSC Anderlecht academy player.
Romeo Lavia will be one to watch in the summer 🌟🇧🇪
🔵 Man City £40m buy back clause, valid in 2024.
🚨 Chelsea [wanted him last summer] and Arsenal [still keen on Caicedo too] among clubs interested – Southampton hope to keep him. #CFC #AFC
📱 More: https://t.co/fthSW70rfz pic.twitter.com/mzXlA7fUZg
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 25, 2023
After just one year in City’s youth ranks, Lavia headed south to St. Mary’s Stadium on account of former City director Joe Shields’ arrival on the south coast, who brought Lavia in as one of a number of young talents that Saints were keen to build around this season.
But the club’s precarious position in the table could see a host of players depart in the summer, even if the club manages to avoid relegation, with Lavia arguably the most sought-after member of the senior squad.
Now that Shields is on the books at Chelsea, the Blues are thought to remain interested in the Belgian as part of their continuing transfer remit of bringing in youth talent for the long haul at Stamford Bridge, while the Gunners are said to be monitoring Lavia as a possible option, though Romano stated that Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar remain ideally focused on trying to secure Brighton talent Moisés Caicedo.
Things could change quickly, however, and one main factor could be the notion that Manchester City’s £40m buy-back clause on the player is not set to take effect until the summer of 2024, leaving the upcoming window as the perfect moment for someone to steal a march on Pep Guardiola’s outfit.
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