The 19-year-old Belgian is on the radar of Chelsea, Liverpool and even former club Manchester City ahead of the transfer window
Few people at Southampton will emerge from this season with their reputation intact, but Romeo Lavia most certainly will. In fact, the 19-year-old midfielder may even have enhanced his, despite the Saints’ relegation from the Premier League.
The Belgium international has made a big impact on the south coast following his £10 million (£12.5m) move from Manchester City last summer. In a struggling team, Lavia’s performances have been a rare source of encouragement for supporters and, accordingly, he is attracting attention from some of the country’s top clubs.
Liverpool, whom Southampton will face at St Mary’s on Sunday in their final game of the campaign, are among the admirers, with Lavia looking to end his first full campaign in senior football on a high, and underline his potential as a star of the future.
GettySchooled the right way
Watching Lavia, it is easy to see that this is a player who has been well-schooled. Born in Brussels, though he is of Ghanaian heritage, he joined Anderlecht at the age of eight and progressed through their ranks until being snapped up by Manchester City just after his 16th birthday in 2020.
He settled well at the Etihad. Though relatively small in stature – he has grown to near six foot now – his composure, awareness and ability to play the ball under pressure meant he was used as a deep-lying midfielder in City’s Elite Development Squad (EDS), where he featured alongside the likes of Cole Palmer, James McAtee, Liam Delap and Samuel Edozie, who, along with goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu and defender Juan Larios, joined Lavia in swapping Manchester for Southampton last summer.
That EDS side was good enough to win the Premier League 2 title in both 2021 and 2022 – they retained the title, without Lavia, this season – with Lavia making his senior City debut against Wycombe in the Carabao Cup in September 2021. He would follow that up with a second, and final, appearance away to Swindon in the FA Cup in January 2022.
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The manner in which Lavia has settled in at Southampton, making 33 appearances in all competitions this season, has been impressive, but not entirely surprising, given the education he received during his two-year stay at City.
The influence of Fernandinho was particularly helpful for a youngster learning the game as a defensive midfield player. In an interview with GOAL back in 2021, Lavia explained how the Brazilian had become a source of inspiration for him.
"I’ve watched a lot of Fernandinho and [Sergio] Busquets,” Lavia said. “Those two have dominated the game as defensive midfielders [so] I’ve looked at them a lot… Fernandinho knows what he’s doing – he doesn’t run just to run. He’s like the brain of the team. When you’re young you want to run – left, right – but he knows what he’s doing so he won’t run as much, but will still be effective. That’s something I keep learning from him.”
GettySettling in at Southampton
At Southampton, Lavia knew he would have big shoes to fill. He effectively became the replacement for Oriol Romeu, who had patrolled Saints’ midfield for the previous seven years but who was surprisingly sold to Girona last September.
Romeu was known for his robust style and calmness on the ball, and it quickly became apparent that Lavia, although a different kind of player generally, bore plenty of similarities with the Spaniard. Certainly, there was a composure which belied his tender years, and his ability to read the game and retain possession made him an instant hit with supporters and team-mates.
“You can clearly see that he's got the ability,” said club captain James Ward-Prowse as early as last September. “And he knows what he's doing so you might not need to give him as much [guidance].
“You can see immediately the quality and the eagerness and the kind of ‘no fear factor’ these young players have. They want to have the ball and they want to get involved and do everything. It's exciting to be part of and it's up to us as the older experienced players to try and help them along their journey.”
That journey, of course, would end in relegation, but if Ward-Prowse is a player who can expect to earn a transfer despite that disappointment, then so too, most definitely, is Lavia.
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Getty ImagesChelsea's crazy offer
There were more than a few eyebrows raised within the game when it emerged that Lavia was on the move last summer. Many had expected City to begin to integrate him into their first team, but the signing of Kalvin Phillips from Leeds effectively put an end to that idea. And there were more eyebrows raised when, just weeks after Lavia’s arrival at Southampton, Chelsea tried to sign him, offering Saints an immediate, and substantial profit on their investment.
“I will never understand this to be honest,” said the then-Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl. “Let them play a good season. I remember when I was playing, you needed two or three good seasons before people talk about you as a good one. Now, meanwhile, three or four games are enough!
"Give them time, keep it calm. I know that you want to have stars and create stars, but it doesn't help the players and very often the opposite happens. This is why I try to keep them grounded and let them do their job."
Chelsea’s approach, believed to be worth as much as £50m ($62m), was rejected, but the Londoners remain firm admirers. Their co-director of recruitment and talent, Joe Shields, was one of those responsible for taking Lavia to Southampton, having previously worked as head of academy recruitment at Manchester City, and scouts regularly attend games at St Mary’s, with their feedback on Lavia overwhelmingly positive.