Chelsea draft up double deal to bolster midfield with signings from two Premier League opponents
Various reports are linking Chelsea with reconstructed moves for Everton midfielder Amadou Onana and Southampton counterpart Romeo Lavia.
Chelsea are looking to evolve their midfield in the upcoming summer transfer window. They sold Jorginho in January to make room for record signing Enzo Fernandez, but there could be further changes in the department.
For example, N’Golo Kante is out of contract at the end of the season. In addition, talks with Mason Mount – whose deal is up in 2024 – over a renewal have not been productive.
Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Conor Gallagher have all also been facing uncertain futures. Finally, Denis Zakaria might not stick around after his loan spell from Juventus.
Therefore, there could be some openings in the Chelsea midfield that will need addressing in the summer. With that in mind, reports have recently revealed that West Ham captain Declan Rice is back on their radar.
But he is not the only midfielder already in the Premier League that Chelsea might make a move for. According to talkSPORT, they are ready to renew their pursuit of Lavia.
The Belgian teenager was someone Chelsea tried to recruit in the summer, shortly after Southampton took him from Manchester City. Ultimately, Saints stood firm.
But they would have a weaker negotiating position this time around if they suffer relegation to the Championship, which is currently a serious risk. Indeed, the report claims Southampton would have “no choice” but to sell Lavia in the event of a bottom-three finish.
Lavia has admirers already at Chelsea, since their recruitment director Joe Shields was behind his transfer to Southampton in the first place. Now, the Blues are planning another bid for the 19-year-old.
Chelsea could sign two Belgians at once
Interestingly, it is being claimed elsewhere that they could also make a move for Lavia’s compatriot, Onana.
According to Fussball Transfers, Chelsea held talks with Everton about prising Onana away in January. The move would have come just half a season after he came to the Premier League.
Due to that timeframe, neither Everton nor Onana were willing to give the green light to the move. However, they too are at risk of relegation and there may have to be a reassessment of the situation in the summer.
By then, it is predicted that Chelsea could try their luck for the 21-year-old again. Whether they will have a clear run at him remains to be seen, since he was also linked with Arsenal in January, but Chelsea could be giving serious thought to him again as their midfield revamp awaits.
Alternative options mentioned in the report from Football Transfers are Rice, Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, Barcelona’s Franck Kessie and Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat.
