Chelsea are in “regular contact” with the agent of Southampton midfielder Roméo Lavia ahead of a potential move to Graham Potter’s side at Stamford Bridge this month, journalist Simon Phillips has told GiveMeSport.

The 18-year-old only joined the Saints from Manchester City in the summer transfer window, but the Blues are looking to secure his long-term future in west London.

Chelsea transfer news – Roméo Lavia

According to The Athletic, Lavia is amongst several midfielders that Chelsea are looking at bringing to Stamford Bridge this month, including Benfica and Argentina’s Enzo Fernández.

Meanwhile, the Southern Daily Echo has reported that the Blues made a £50m bid for the services of the youngster on deadline day of the summer window, suggesting that he is a player Todd Boehly has had his eyes on for a while.

Phillips has previously told GiveMeSport that Chelsea are in the market for a new midfielder and Lavia is a name that they are currently talking about signing.

And the journalist now says that the Stamford Bridge outfit are trying to get ahead of the game in the race for the starlet’s signature, with Manchester City having a buyback clause option on their former academy product from this summer.

What has Phillips said about Chelsea and Lavia?

Phillips told GiveMeSport: “There's contact with Lavia that's still going on. There’s regular contact with his agent.

“So, Chelsea are sensing an opportunity to try and get him this window. If not, it will be in the summer because Manchester City have that buyback clause on him. I think that comes in possibly in the summer, so Chelsea again trying to get ahead of the competition with him.”

Would Lavia be a good signing for Chelsea?

Despite what he lacks in age, Lavia has more than made up for in his performances for the bottom-of-the-league Saints this season, having become a regular in both Ralph Hasenhüttl and Nathan Jones’ midfield when fit.

The Brussels-born dynamo has made nine Premier League appearances so far this campaign and showcased his talents to Chelsea first-hand across all aspects of the pitch, having bagged a goal in an excellent performance in the Saints’ 2-1 win over the Blues at the end of August.

He is also exceptional in a defensive sense, ranking in the top 1% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues as well as the Champions League and Europa League for interceptions per 90 minutes (2.46) and top 5% for blocks per 90 (1.88) over the last 365 days, according to FBref.

Therefore, it seems that if Chelsea could secure Lavia’s signature next month, Potter could have one of the finest young talents in world football on his hands.

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