Romeo Lavia news at Chelsea only justifies incredible Southampton FC business: View | OneFootball

It has been an excellent season for Southampton in the Championship so far.

The Saints were relegated from the Premier League last season, but they are in a strong position as they look to bounce back to the top flight at the first attempt.

Southampton's automatic promotion hopes suffered a huge blow with a run of three defeats in four games last month, but they have responded well with two wins in their last two games.

Russell Martin's side currently sit fourth in the table, nine points behind second-placed Leicester City and leaders Leeds United, but they do have at least one game in hand on all the teams above them.

After almost three weeks without a game, the Saints are back in action when they host Middlesbrough at St Mary's on Good Friday.

While Southampton have one of the best squads in the second tier, their success this season is impressive considering the fact they lost a host of key players after relegation, including the likes of James Ward-Prowse, Tino Livramento and Romeo Lavia.

Lavia attracted interest from a number of clubs in the summer, such as Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool, but he eventually joined Chelsea in August for a fee of £53 million, which could rise to £58 million.

The midfielder looked to be an exciting signing for the Blues, but his minutes have been incredibly limited this season due to injury, making the fee that Southampton received for him seem like outstanding business from the club.

Southampton have been the winners of Romeo Lavia to Chelsea deal

Lavia only spent one year at Southampton after joining from Manchester City in the summer of 2022 for a fee of £10 million, rising to £14 million.

The 20-year-old provided one goal and registered one assist in 34 appearances in all competitions for the Saints last term, and his performances were one of few positives in a disappointing season for the club as their 11-year stay in the Premier League came to an end.

Lavia's displays did not go unnoticed, and he was handed his first call-up to the Belgium senior squad at international level last March, making his debut as a substitute against Germany.

It was always unlikely that Saints would be able to keep hold of Lavia in the Championship, and the club's focus was instead on securing the maximum possible fee for him.

For a player with just one season of senior football under his belt, agreeing a deal worth £58 million with Chelsea was excellent business from Southampton, and the club should be commended for holding out for their valuation.

While Lavia has a lot of potential, it did feel as though Chelsea had once again overpaid for a player, and his issues at Stamford Bridge this season have not helped that perception.

After missing much of the first half of the season with an ankle injury, Lavia finally made his debut for Chelsea as a substitute in the win over Crystal Palace in December, but that remains his only appearance for the club so far.

Lavia then sustained a hamstring injury, and the club confirmed this week that the midfielder will miss the rest of the campaign after suffering a setback in his recovery.

Instagram to express his frustration.

Lavia is a long-term signing for Chelsea, and it would be no surprise to see him become a key player for the Blues and Belgium in the future, but he will need to prove himself once he returns to fitness, and there will be pressure on him given his price tag, which is something that the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo have struggled with.

With Southampton challenging for promotion, Lavia has not been missed at St Mary's this season, and as he has played just 32 minutes of football for his new club so far, the Saints will be delighted with the profit they made from the deal.