Midfielder · #45
Roméo Lavia
Belgium · 5'11" · 22
His role
Lavia sits in front of the defence. He closes passing lanes, wins loose balls and moves possession on quickly. In buildup he gives the centre-backs a safe option through the middle.
His story
- 01Drama
He turned Liverpool down to come here
Liverpool made three bids for Lavia and eventually matched Chelsea's offer, but he chose Chelsea anyway. He later said Liverpool had made him feel like a fallback after missing their first-choice target, while Chelsea had wanted him from the beginning. Southampton received £53m, and the player chose the club that had made him feel chosen first.
- 02Record
Seven injuries and more than 75 games missed
Lavia injured his thigh on his Chelsea debut and missed the rest of that season. Each return seemed to begin another interruption: hamstring trouble, another setback, then a quad problem in November 2025. Seven separate injuries have cost him more than 75 matches, turning one of Chelsea's most elegant passers into a player supporters have mostly had to imagine in the team.
- 03Off the pitch
Guardiola spotted him at a tournament De Bruyne runs
Pep Guardiola first watched Lavia at the Kevin De Bruyne Cup, an under-15 tournament in Belgium that De Bruyne helps organise. Manchester City signed the midfielder at sixteen. Three years later, playing for Southampton, he became the first player born in 2004 to score in the Premier League—and he did it against Chelsea.
Career
Manchester City2021–2022
Southampton2022
Chelsea2023–
