Manchester City ‘still control’ Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia thanks to their buyback clause, according to respected journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The 18-year-old only made the move to St Mary’s from the Etihad Stadium over the summer but has already attracted interest from Chelsea as they embark on a mission to sign the game’s most promising youngsters.

What is the latest news involving Lavia?

Transfer expert Romano revealed in the aftermath of the summer transfer window that Chelsea ‘wanted to sign’ Lavia on deadline day.

It’s claimed that the west London outfit had a £50 million ‘verbal proposal’ rejected by the south coast club who considered the highly-rated teenager ‘untouchable’.

The Saints paid City £12m to prise Lavia away from the Etihad Stadium, although the fee could rise to £15m with potential add-ons, and the reigning Premier League champions included a £40m buyback clause into the deal.

Lavia began his Southampton career well, starting their first five top-flight fixtures of the season and scoring his first senior goal, somewhat ironically against Chelsea.

However, a hamstring injury then sidelined the Belgium Under-21 international until he made his return to action a couple of weeks ago.

What has Romano said about Lavia?

Romano has informed GiveMeSport that despite Chelsea adding Joe Shields to their backroom staff from Southampton, signing Lavia will not be ‘easy’.

Read more: January Transfer Window 2023: When Does It Begin, Rumours and Everything You Need To Know

He said: “There is another point that they signed the new co-director of recruitment from Southampton, who is Joe Shields, who is the man who brought Romeo Lavia to Southampton from Manchester City on a permanent deal.

“But first point is not easy because Man City have a buyback clause for Lavia, and so they still control the player.”

Where would Lavia fit in at Man City?

Lavia is a defensive-minded central midfielder who likes to control proceedings from the base of the engine room, but with Rodri still in his prime, City don’t have the need for another of those at this moment in time.

The arrival of Kalvin Phillips from Leeds United over the summer further blocked Lavia’s path into the first-team as well, forcing him to exit the club in search of regular senior action.

If either one of those players is offloaded by Pep Guardiola or suffers a dramatic loss of form, then the Cityzens may be tempted to bring back their academy graduate.

Until then, though, Lavia is perhaps better off gaining valuable experience in the Premier League at Southampton, a club that is known for placing its trust in youngsters.