Chelsea have completed the £58 million transfer of 19-year-old Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia.
According to a club announcement, Lavia has signed a seven-year contract with Chelsea, adding to Mauricio Pochettino’s roster. The transaction is for an initial £53 million plus an additional £5 million in add-ons.
Chelsea fans are looking forward to seeing Lavia, Enzo Fernandez, and Moises Caicedo form the team’s midfield this season. They’ve been dubbed the ‘LFC midfield’ in reference to Liverpool’s failed attempts to capture Lavia and Caicedo.
On completing his move to Chelsea, Lavia said: “I’m really happy to join Chelsea and be a part of this exciting project. It’s an amazing football club with a great history and I’m really excited to get started.
“I can’t wait to meet all my new teammates and build chemistry together to achieve great things together.”
Co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said: “We are very pleased to welcome Romeo to Chelsea. He demonstrated his quality in the Premier League last season at Southampton, showing maturity despite his young age, and is a player we have monitored for some time.
“We believe he is ready to make an impact at Chelsea throughout the current campaign, and in the coming years.”
This season, he will wear the number 45 for Chelsea, as confirmed by the club.
