Chelsea demonstrated their unwavering commitment to midfielder Romeo Lavia during the summer transfer window by immediately rejecting an approach from Manchester United, football.london can reveal.
United's Failed Midfield Pursuit
The Red Devils made a formal enquiry about the availability of the 21-year-old Belgian international, but Chelsea chiefs never entertained the possibility of selling one of Enzo Maresca's prized assets. This firm stance came despite Lavia's injury-plagued start to his Chelsea career, having made just 11 Premier League starts since his £53 million move from Southampton in August 2023.
The midfielder's future in west London faced uncertainty after he sustained an injury at the FIFA Club World Cup towards the end of last season, forcing him to miss the remainder of the tournament with a muscle strain. Despite these fitness concerns, Lavia managed to start three of Chelsea's opening four matches in the United States during pre-season.
Nkunku's Milan Move and Garnacho Signing
While Chelsea were resisting approaches for Lavia, they conducted their own business with Manchester United, securing the signature of Alejandro Garnacho for just £40 million at the end of August. The report also reveals that United expressed interest in Christopher Nkunku, who was subsequently snapped up by AC Milan in a £36 million deal.
Chelsea's faith in Lavia appeared justified until earlier this month when the midfielder suffered another setback. Prior to picking up a muscle injury during Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Qarabag in the UEFA Champions League, the Belgian had made six appearances across all competitions and impressed in victories against Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Maresca's Management Strategy
Speaking to journalists in Baku, manager Enzo Maresca gave his initial assessment of Lavia's latest injury, stating: "We feel a shame for him, especially for him. He's not able to be fit for a long, long period. We will see now. It's too early to understand what kind of injury. I think it's his quad."
Later, during the pre-match press briefing before Chelsea's encounter with Wolves, Maresca described the injury as 'painful' and revealed his careful management approach towards the midfielder. The Italian manager had been consciously managing Lavia's minutes, drawing parallels with Reece James's situation.
Maresca outlined his strategy prior to the lengthy journey to Azerbaijan: "The main target for Romeo now is to be fit. Don't get any injuries. For me, at this moment, Romeo is where Reece was more or less one year ago in terms of back after a long time. We need to manage him every minute, every day, every second."
The Chelsea manager added: "In the Forest game, we planned for him 45 minutes. Then Ajax, I think he played one hour, 70 minutes. The other day against Tottenham, when he was on, he was very good. We are happy with Romeo. We are happy with the way he's progressing. And the only thing we want is to keep him fit."
Lavia is now facing another period on the sidelines and is likely to miss crucial fixtures against Barcelona, Arsenal, and Newcastle United. Despite these ongoing fitness concerns, Chelsea's summer transfer stance makes their commitment to the young midfielder abundantly clear, with the player under contract at Stamford Bridge until June 2030.
