Update emerges in Chelsea's pursuit of Southampton star | OneFootball

It is set to be a real summer of change at Southampton following their relegation to the Championship and there could be several high-profile departures.

Despite being in a position where they could wave goodbye to several important first-teamers, there is also a good opportunity to generate funds to invest across multiple positions as they adapt to what is shaping up to be a competitive upcoming Championship campaign.

Midfielder Romeo Lavia is one player who has generated a lot of interest over the last few months, with there being several of England's giants displaying somewhat of an attraction to the exciting 19-year-old.

What is the latest update concerning Chelsea's pursuit of Southampton ace Romeo Lavia?

Last month, a report from Goal suggested that Liverpool and Manchester City held an interest in the teenager, whilst Football Insider claimed that Chelsea and Arsenal were also admirers.

However, last week, it emerged that Liverpool had made an attempt to beat the competition and try and land the midfielder, making contact with the relegated Championship outfit.

Now, Chelsea have taken their turn to try and win the race, with a report from Football.London revealing that the Blues have opened talks with Lavia after watching the midfield talent extensively over the 2022/23 season.

The report states that a move for Lavia will not impact Chelsea's level of interest in another midfield target is Brighton & Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo.

It remains to be seen if any of the aforementioned teams will complicate things for Chelsea at this stage, whilst it will be interesting to see how the Saints handle the interest from London.

Will Southampton sell Chelsea-linked midfielder Romeo Lavia?

Plying their trade in next season's Championship, there is, of course, an expectation that the Hampshire club will have to part company with a few first-teamers, with the core objective being to generate funds to best attack the second tier.

The report from Football.London suggests that Lavia will cost around the £50 million mark, and with there being a wealth of competition for his services, the midfielder's departure would make sense.

Man City possess a buyback clause for the exciting midfielder, following his Etihad departure last summer, however, that does not come into effect until 2024.