Chelsea may have to wait until the summer for a potential deal to bring Southampton midfielder Roméo Lavia to the club, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

The Belgian midfielder only joined the Saints from Manchester City in the summer transfer window but is now the subject of interest from the west London club.

GiveMeSport Transfer Update

What’s the latest on Lavia?

According to multiple sources, Chelsea had a £50m bid rejected by Southampton for Lavia’s services towards the end of the summer transfer window, despite the midfielder having made just five Premier League appearances for the club up to that point.

However, Romano has already told GIVEMESPORT that despite Chelsea adding former Saints and Manchester City head of recruitment to the staff at Stamford Bridge, a move for the 18-year-old will be a challenge in January, with the Manchester club having a buy-back option on the midfielder.

However, with injuries to key midfielders such as N’Golo Kanté, Graham Potter’s side may feel that they could do with a new midfield addition in January to cover the stricken star.

But Romano believes that a deal for Lavia may be a more realistic move to make in the summer, rather than in the upcoming January transfer window.

What has Romano said about Lavia?

Romano told GIVEMESPORT: “So now to bring in also Roméo Lavia from the same club could be something not so easy.

“So, my expectation is that in January is not going to be an easy one [for Chelsea] for Roméo Lavia, maybe in the summer.”

Would Lavia be a good signing for Chelsea?

Though Lavia has made an impressive start to his career at the Saints, it would seem to be a bold move from Chelsea to make a move for an 18-year-old with seven career Premier League appearances to his name, for a fee of £50m.

However, as a box-to-box midfielder, the Belgian’s stats make for impressive reading so far this campaign, ranking in the top 1% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues as well as the Champions League and Europa League for blocks per 90 minutes (2.59) as well as the top 5% for interceptions per 90 minutes (1.94) over the last 365 days, according to FBref.

In a coincidental set of circumstances, the former Manchester City academy starlet scored his one and only Premier League goal in a 2-1 victory for the Saints over Chelsea, in a game in which the two-time European champions saw his quality first-hand.

Despite being so vastly inexperienced, Potter may look to secure the signing of Lavia next summer, in a bid to secure the long-term future of one of Europe’s hottest prospects.