Chelsea are 'talking' about a possible move for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia in January, according to journalist Simon Phillips. 

The Lowdown: Chelsea's Lavia interest

The Athletic reported that the Blues had a £50m deadline day offer for Lavia turned down earlier this season, with the Saints keen on retaining him for the duration of the 2022/23 campaign. Ironically, that came just days after he scored against Chelsea in a 2-1 Southampton win in one of Thomas Tuchel's final games at the helm.

The 18-year-old has made seven appearances in the Premier League this term and he has clearly impressed the Blues, who are now believed to be considering a move for him once again...

The Latest: Phillips' comments

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Phillips detailed that Chelsea are eager to sign a midfielder in the January transfer window, with the Belgian youngster being discussed as a potential option.

The journalist outlined: “They want a new midfielder in January. They’ve looked at a host of different names. Romeo Lavia is one that they’re currently talking about signing.”

The Verdict: Worth it?

Lavia is clearly held in very high esteem by Southampton if they were willing to reject a £50m bid for him, so it appears as though only an offer which is even higher than that valuation is likely to sway them into a January sale.

While he did not bring the teenager to St Mary's, current Saints manager Nathan Jones has clearly been impressed by the starlet, describing him as a 'special talent', which is indicated by some of his performances over the past year.

The midfielder has displayed remarkable defensive acumen, averaging 2.59 blocks and 1.94 interceptions per 90. Those figures place him in the 99th and 95th percentiles respectively compared to his positional peers in Europe's top five leagues.

It is very much a surprise that Manchester City let him leave for just £12m this summer, given that his average pass completion rate of 88.3% would make him well-suited to Pep Guardiola's possession-based system.

However, their loss could yet be Graham Potter's gain, as Lavia would appear to be a phenomenal propsective acquisition for Chelsea, despite the amount of money that he would likely set them back in order to sign him.