- Teenage midfielder off to Stamford Bridge
- Spent one season at Southampton
- City included sell-on clause in deal with Saints
WHAT HAPPENED? The highly-rated 19-year-old midfielder is heading to Stamford Bridge after spending the 2022-23 campaign at Southampton. The youngster impressed during his solitary season with the Saints, despite suffering relegation out of the Premier League.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Lavia is now on the move again, with the Belgian starlet linking up with top-flight heavyweights in west London. Chelsea have spent big on the teenager’s current ability and future potential, but their lavish acquisition has financially benefited the reigning Premier League champions.
AND WHAT'S MORE: That is because Manchester City included a 20 per cent sell-on clause in the transfer package that took Lavia off their books and to Southampton in 2022. They always rated Lavia highly, but fierce competition for places at the Etihad Stadium meant that he had to look elsewhere for regular game time.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
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GettyWHAT NEXT? Chelsea will have no qualms about further lining City’s pockets if Lavia makes the desired impact in a different shade of Blue, with new head coach Mauricio Pochettino being given the same kind of backing in the transfer market by the Todd Boehly-led ownership team as his predecessors Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter enjoyed.