{"id":92909,"date":"2023-08-18T14:56:36","date_gmt":"2023-08-18T14:56:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/08\/18\/chelsea-sign-romeo-lavia-from-southampton-in-58m-deal\/"},"modified":"2023-08-18T14:56:36","modified_gmt":"2023-08-18T14:56:36","slug":"chelsea-sign-romeo-lavia-from-southampton-in-58m-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/08\/18\/chelsea-sign-romeo-lavia-from-southampton-in-58m-deal\/","title":{"rendered":"Chelsea sign Romeo Lavia from Southampton in \u00a358m deal"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Romeo Lavia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Chelsea have completed the signing of Belgium midfielder Romeo Lavia from Southampton for an initial \u00a353m.<\/p>\n

The 19-year-old has signed a seven-year contract in a deal which could rise by a further \u00a35m with add-ons.<\/p>\n

Lavia made 34 appearances in all competitions last season but could not help prevent Saints\u2019 relegation from the Premier League.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI\u2019m really happy join Chelsea and be a part of this exciting project,\u201d said Lavia.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an amazing football club with a great history and I\u2019m really excited to get started.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t wait to meet all my new teammates and build a chemistry to achieve great things together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Liverpool were also keen on Lavia, but the Reds had a third bid \u2013 believed to have been for around \u00a346m including add-ons \u2013 rejected by Southampton earlier this month.<\/p>\n

Lavia becomes the second player this week to have opted for Chelsea over Jurgen Klopp\u2019s side, following in the footsteps of Moises Caicedo, who\u00a0joined the Blues from Brighton for a \u00a3100m fee\u00a0which could rise to a British record \u00a3115m.<\/p>\n

Having come through the youth system at Anderlecht, Lavia moved to Manchester City in 2020 after being spotted at a tournament in Belgium attended by Pep Guardiola. The youngster made just two senior appearances at City \u2013 in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup \u2013 as he struggled to break into the club\u2019s first team and joined Saints in July 2022 for \u00a310.5m.<\/p>\n

City will collect 20% (\u00a310.6m) of the initial \u00a353m fee received by Southampton because of a sell-on clause.<\/p>\n

Lavia made his debut for the Belgium national team earlier this year, coming on as a substitute with ten minutes to play in a friendly victory over Germany.<\/p>\n

In a statement, Southampton paid tribute to Lavia for his \u201cefforts and professionalism\u201d during his one season with the club, wishing him \u201cevery success in what [they] are sure will be a fantastic career\u201d.<\/p>\n

Lavia thanked Southampton fans for their support in a goodbye message on Instagram.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve instantly felt the love for you all despite us not achieving our shared goals,\u201d Lavia wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll never forget the belief the club and Saints all around the world showed me and I hope I was able to repay the faith you put in me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would especially like to thank all my teammates and staff members within the club. You have all played a massive part in making my integration into real professional football easier.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor those reasons, this club will always remain close to my heart. Good luck this season and I look forward to seeing the club marching back to the Premier League where it belongs very soon!\u201d<\/p>\n

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