£58m man is top 7 in the league in creative stat – it’s not Enzo or Cole Palmer | OneFootball

Today’s Liverpool – Chelsea game is the perfect chance to have a look at Romeo Lavia.

The fact that we signed back in 2023 him from right under the Reds’ noses means that he will always have his career at Chelsea linked with them.

Lavia one of league’s most creative – when he’s on the pitch

Romeo Lavia back in training.

So far, today’s opposition won’t have been too annoyed they ended up missing out on him. For our £58m investment we’ve not had a single 90 minute game. He’s had 13 total Premier League appearances.

But while his injury issues are a major concern, there’s never been any doubt about his quality. When he has been able to get on the pitch for Chelsea, he’s looked good. The stats really back that up, as The Athletic’s piece about the Belgian yesterday pointed out.

Enzo Maresca noted in his press conference after last week’s win over Everton that he liked Lavia because “he can defend very well, he can attack, he can break the lines, and pass between the lines.” And we’ve certainly seen plenty of evidence to back that up.

Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez are having good seasons in midfield and Cole Palmer is one of the most creative players in Europe. Yet Lavia’s 4.7 line breaking passes per game beats them all.

Lavia return opens up options for Maresca

Lavia’s presence in the middle also means Maresca can use players around him differently. Caicedo can be used as a right back out of possession (and we may well see that today), while Enzo can be pushed forward into more attacking areas where he’s had so much success in the last couple of months.

After a full week’s rest, Lavia should be ready to go at full power today. We don’t expect this to be the day he completes his first 90 minutes for us, but he can still play a vital role.