Chelsea target Romeo Lavia could be a key player under Mauricio Pochettino if both end up crossing paths at Stamford Bridge, according to journalist Dean Jones.
What's the latest news involving Romeo Lavia and Mauricio Pochettino?
As per Football Insider, Chelsea are keen on bringing in Southampton midfielder Lavia to west London and he has 'jumped to top of their summer signing shortlist'.
The report states that Lavia is expected to depart St Mary's Stadium in the off-season regardless if the Saints stay up or suffer relegation to the Sky Bet Championship, with a fee in the region of £45 million believed to be enough to entice the 19-year-old away from the South Coast.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has given an update on Lavia's future on Twitter and has detailed that Manchester City have a buyback option inserted into his contract, stating: "Man City £40m buyback clause, valid in 2024. Chelsea [wanted him last summer] and Arsenal [still keen on Caicedo too] among clubs interested – Southampton hope to keep him."
Due to the fact Lavia's clause doesn't apply until 2024, 90min claim Southampton are willing to sanction his departure in the forthcoming transfer window to maximise their potential profit on him.
If Lavia ends up at Chelsea, he could link up with former Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino, who is expected to take over at Stamford Bridge.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones believes that Lavia's attributes are similar to former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Mousa Dembele, who Pochettino spent five successful years with in north London.
Jones told FFC: "He was signed from Fulham and continued to establish himself as one of the smartest midfielders in the game.
"His strength was, er, his strength! Yet he combined that power on the ball with brilliant awareness, incredible technical ability and a poise that made him so difficult to beat in a one-on-one battle.
"Kovacic is the man that stands out from the current squad that could play most like Dembele – but the truth is Chelsea could do with finding someone new if they want to properly replicate the brilliant Belgian.
"The signing of Romeo Lavia from Southampton would pretty perfectly fit the bill in this sense and that is helpful – because he is already on their watchlist for a summer transfer."
How has Romeo Lavia faired statistically for Southampton this season?
Lavia has earned regular minutes this campaign for Southampton and has been a standout performer despite their struggles in the Premier League.
Across the season, the Belgium international has made 30 appearances in all competitions for the Saints, registering one goal and one assist, as per Transfermarkt.
WhoScored also notes that Lavia has maintained an average pass accuracy of 86.4% in the Premier League, demonstrating his capacity to take the ball in tight areas and rarely lose possession.
Whether he could be Pochettino's version of Dembele is one thing; however, Lavia is certainly someone with a lot of potential and could help to freshen up a stagnating engine room at Chelsea.