Romeo Lavia has continued to impress Manchester City since his move to Southampton.
Pep Guardiola wanted to keep Lavia this season but could not convince the player that he would get enough minutes to stay in the face of a £10.5m bid from Southampton. The 19-year-old has managed to shine in what has been a difficult season on the South Coast as they currently prop up the Premier League table, flourishing in his first year of senior football.
Chelsea were taken enough after playing Saints in August to try and sign him even before the summer deadline closed, seeing a £40m offer knocked back. There is expected to be significant interest in the midfielder again when the season ends, especially if Southampton are relegated.
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City inserted a number of clauses into the deal sending Lavia to Southampton that protect them if an offer comes in for the player. They can match any bid, and also have a buyback clause as well as a sell-on clause of 20 per cent.
In what is set to be another significant summer for City in the transfer market, the futures of Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan remain uncertain. Guardiola talked up the qualities of Lavia ahead of City's trip to Southampton.
"I’m really impressed with what Romeo is doing. We have an incredible opinion of him," said Guardiola.
"We thought to keep him but we didn’t have enough minutes for him that he could get at Southampton. I’m sorry for Juan Larios, he has been injured most of the time. Sam Edozie, I didn’t see him much. It’s a great experience to play in the Premier League at this early age, it’s so important."
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