Chelsea are more likely to sign Southampton midfielder Roméo Lavia than Ajax and Mexico international Edson Álvarez as Graham Potter looks to put his stamp on the squad at Stamford Bridge, according to journalist Simon Phillips.
The duo have been linked with a move to west London since the closure of the summer transfer window.
Chelsea transfer news – Roméo Lavia and Edson Álvarez
Phillips has previously told GiveMeSport that Chelsea still hold a “tentative interest” in signing Álvarez, after they couldn’t secure a £43m deal for the midfielder on deadline day in the summer transfer window, as per Sky Sports.
The 61-time Mexico international told ESPN of his disappointment after being unable to move to Stamford Bridge, because Ajax didn’t have a replacement lined up in his position, stating: “I am very disappointed, but I am convinced that sooner or later a big club will come for me.”
Meanwhile, Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri has revealed that the Blues still hold an interest in Southampton midfielder Lavia, who was reportedly the subject of a £50m bid from the club owned by Todd Boehly at the end of the summer transfer market, despite joining the Saints from Manchester City in the same window.
And Phillips believes that the latter is more likely to link up with Potter at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea genuinely pushing to sign the Belgian on deadline day during the summer transfer window.
What has Phillips said about Chelsea’s interest in Lavia and Álvarez?
Phillips told GiveMeSport: “I think Lavia is probably going to be more likely than Álvarez because Chelsea did push and try and sign him on deadline day with a late offer. So, he's the one to watch rather than Álvarez, I would say.”
What would Lavia and Álvarez bring to Chelsea?
Chelsea have already seen up close just how good Lavia can be, when the young starlet put in an impressive display in Southampton’s 2-1 victory over the Blues in August, with the Belgian getting himself on the scoresheet that evening.
It’s not just goalscoring that makes the 18-year-old one of Potter’s main desires, with the youngster ranking in the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's big five leagues as well as the Champions League and Europa League for blocks per 90 minutes (2.59) and top 5% for interceptions (1.94) over the last 365 days, according to FBref.
Meanwhile, Álvarez has recently returned from World Cup duty with Mexico, having made two appearances in the side’s disappointing group-stage exit this winter.
However, the defensive midfielder did achieve an impressive WhoScored rating of 7.31 for his showings in Qatar, ranking him as the side’s top performer during the tournament.
During that time, he made two interceptions per game, 1.5 tackles and 0.5 clearances according to Sofascore, suggesting that the 25-year-old can hold his head up high after an impressive showing on the world’s biggest stage.
However, with Lavia a regular in the Premier League when fit and seven years Álvarez’s junior, it looks as though Chelsea and Potter may look to the Southampton starlet as their long-term target in the upcoming transfer windows.