Chelsea have announced the signing of midfielder Romeo Lavia from Southampton.
The Blues will pay around £58m including add-ons to the Saints for a long-term target having previously tried to sign him last summer.
They have fought off stiff competition from Liverpool to secure Lavia’s signature and the Belgium international has put pen to paper on a long-term contract at Stamford Bridge.
“I can’t wait to meet all my new team-mates and build a chemistry together to achieve great things together,” he told the club’s website.
Lavia joined Southampton last summer from Manchester City and emerged as one of the Premier League’s finest young talents during his first season as a senior player.
Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, Chelsea’s co-sporting directors who outmanoeuvred their Liverpool counterparts, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Romeo to Chelsea. He demonstrated his quality in the Premier League last season at Southampton, showing maturity despite his young age, and is a player we have monitored for some time.
“We believe he is ready to make an impact at Chelsea throughout the current campaign, and in the coming years.”
He broke into Belgium’s first-team setup but was unable to help the Saints stave off relegation. He did not play a minute for them in the Championship ahead of his exit from St Mary’s.
Chelsea could hand Lavia his debut on Sunday when they travel to London rivals West Ham United.
LISTEN NOW TO 90MIN’S TALKING TRANSFERS PODCAST
On this week’s edition of Talking Transfers, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders is joined by Toby Cudworth, Graeme Bailey and Sean Walsh to discuss Liverpool’s response to losing out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, Harry Maguire’s Man Utd future and more!
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