Chelsea seal Lavia signing to take week’s spending on midfielders to £173m
Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Roméo Lavia from Southampton. The 19-year-old is the second defensive midfielder bought by the club this week, after Moisés Caicedo, and the deals mean Mauricio Pochettino has at his disposal two players who had been wanted by Liverpool.
The fee for Lavia could reach £58m after a British-record £115m, including add-ons, was paid to take Caicedo from Brighton. It continues the huge outlay under the owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
Pochettino has been desperate to add more depth in midfield. Chelsea have allowed Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kanté, Jorginho and Ruben Loftus-Cheek to leave this year. They started with a midfield of Enzo Fernández, Conor Gallagher and Carney Chukwuemeka during their 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Sunday. Funds could be raised by selling Gallagher after the arrival of Lavia, who has signed a seven-year contract.
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Chelsea plan to add to their attacking options, with Nottingham Forest’s Brennan Johnson among their targets after Michael Olise rejected a move in favour of signing a new contract at Crystal Palace.