Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia is now being looked at by Chelsea for a January transfer swoop, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Chelsea's Lavia interest

Chelsea came in for Lavia at the end of the summer transfer window, with it being reported that they made a £50m deadline day proposal for the youngster, but Southampton rejected the offer for the midfielder, who had only arrived at the club a few months earlier.

The 18-year-old's season has been disrupted with a hamstring injury, which has ruled him out of nine games so far this term, but he has still impressed enough for the Blues to retain their interest, and they could now lodge a renewed bid.

The Latest: Lavia still being considered

According to a report from The Athletic, Chelsea are still considering the teenager as a less-costly alternative to West Ham United's Declan Rice.

However, the likes of Alexis Mac Allister, and Moises Caicedo are named as other options in the middle of the park, so there is no guarantee that the youngster will be subject to another offer, and he doesn't appear to be their main option.

The Verdict: Lavia must stay

While his Premier League campaign has been blighted by injury issues, the Belgian has impressed whenever he has had the opportunity, and actually notched his first goal for the club in the 2-1 victory against Chelsea back in October.

The starlet is ranked as the fifth-best performing player in the Saints squad, with an average match rating of 6.81, a figure that is second to only talisman James Ward-Prowse when compared to the other midfield options at St. Mary's Stadium.

Hailed as 'fantastic' by journalist Zach Lowy, it is clear that Lavia has a very bright future ahead of him, and he could be a huge help to Nathan Jones in the relegation battle now that he is back in contention to be selected.