“He trained well”- Championship manager gives verdict on future of teenage Chelsea target

Southampton boss won’t ask Chelsea target Romeo Lavia to play this weekend and expects his future to get resolved soon

Southampton boss Russell Martin expects the future of Chelsea target Romeo Lavia to be resolved very soon in this crazy summer transfer window.

Martin has also confirmed that he won’t ask the Belgian international to play in the weekend when Southampton play Norwich City in an important Championship clash.

It is well-documented that along with Chelsea, Liverpool are in the race to sign Lavia. As of now, both clubs are working hard to get the Moises Caicedo deal done with the Blues having an upper hand.

Here’s the quote from Martin when asked about the 19-year-old Belgium international (h/t Football London):

“He trained well with us today. I won’t ask him to start after the minutes he’s had and what’s been going. It’ll be resolved very soon I’m sure. It’s been very fluid so far.”

In the last few hours, Chelsea diluted their attempt to sign Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams to free up the necessary funds for a big Caicedo bid.

It would be interesting to see if the Blues go after Lavia if the Ecuador international is signed before Sunday. One would highly doubt so because Liverpool will then steal a march potentially.

An interesting few hours are in store for us. It is encouraging to see that Caicedo has pushed back on a move to Anfield even when Brighton had agreed on a fee with them.

That showed that the 21-year-old is ready to commit to the project at Chelsea. If the club have a choice between him and Lavia, it is a no-brainer that they go for the former.

More Chelsea News

• Mauricio Pochettino gives verdict on Chelsea’s pursuit of Moises Caicedo amid Liverpool hijack threat
• Chelsea have come under Premier League scrutiny for breaking financial rules
• West Ham United are considering a summer swoop for Chelsea striker Armando Broja

Getting Caicedo changes the landscape of the team because he and Enzo Fernandez can form a combative midfield partnership for many years to come. In modern football, that position is key to a team’s success and failure. We look back at last season when the Blues struggled for continuity and intensity in the middle of the park.