Romeo Lavia: How De Bruyne, Guardiola Helped Chelsea’s New Boy Become Premier League Star

• Romeo Lavia has joined Chelsea for a total fee of £58 million from Southampton
• The Blues beat competition from Liverpool to secure the signing of the talented midfielder
• Former Chelsea player Kevin De Bruyne and Pep Guardiola were influential in his ascension

Another one walks through the door at Stamford Bridge, having rejected Liverpool and choosing Chelsea to wrap up a crazy transfer battle between the two sides.

Romeo Lavia is the latest addition to Mauricio Pochettino's squad after the £115m British record transfer of Moises Caicedo from Brighton. The former Southampton midfielder costs £58m, including add-ons.

He is a highly-rated midfield prospect with one Premier League season under his belt. Eden Hazard was said to have influenced him to join Chelsea, but another former Blue, Kevin De Bruyne, also had a hand.

How De Bruyne helped Lavia

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According to The Athletic, the young Lavia was spotted by Pep Guardiola at the KDB Cup for U15 players in Belgium, organised by De Bruyne, who invited his manager.

Lavia, who is of Ghanaian descent, impressed in the heart of Anderlecht's midfield and caught the eye of the Spanish boss, and he was signed to Manchester City academy, where he excelled as a number 6 in the 4-3-3 formation.

His path to the first team appeared bleak due to the presence of former captain Fernandinho and Spanish midfielder Rodri, both of whom have held the position.

He was sold to Southampton for £10mil with City retaining a 20% sell-on which guarantees them above £10mil from what Chelsea paid, as noted by Mirror UK, as well as a buyback clause which doesn't become active until the summer of 2024.

Former Southampton and Man City academy chief, Joe Shields, who is now at Chelsea, was influential in moving him across the three clubs.

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He will not walk straight into Pochettino's team as he will have to compete with Caicedo for the DM role in the 4-2-3-1 formation, but due to injuries and available players, the Argentine could opt for a 4-3-3, which would see a midfield trio of Lavia, Fernandez and Caicedo.

Hazard's influence on Lavia's move

Sports Brief analysed how Eden Hazard helped Chelsea sign Lavia after speaking to his compatriot about the club and life in London, easing his decision to ditch Liverpool.

Hazard was at Stamford Bridge on Sunday for the 1-1 draw between the two sides, while it was speculated that the 19-year-old midfielder had been in London for some time too.