Chelsea’s true stance on Romeo Lavia amid major injury issues as January plans revealed

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TBR Football understands that Chelsea like Romeo Lavia a lot despite his ongoing injury issues since joining the club.

Lavia signed for Chelsea in 2023 for £58million, but due to various injury problems, he’s only been able to make 23 appearances in all competitions since then.

The talented midfielder is currently out of action with a muscle problem, which has raised questions about his long-term future at Stamford Bridge.

However, TBR Football understands that Lavia is loved at Chelsea and is rated highly by the club. Despite his injury issues, they still fully believe in him as a player.

Exclusive: Romeo Lavia could be in demand this January if he isn’t playing for Chelsea

Graeme Bailey – Chief Correspondent for TBR Football – has been told that January could be interesting if Lavia is fit and not playing in Enzo Maresca’s side.

Lavia was the subject of a late summer transfer inquiry from Manchester United, as Ruben Amorim looked to bolster his midfield, but that didn’t progress.

“There are a few teams looking at him, and he’s a quality performer. When he comes back into the fold, it’s likely he’ll be fourth or even fifth choice. But he’s also got a World Cup to think about; whether he makes the Belgium squad isn’t a given because they’re deep in midfield.

“The next few months will be key. If he’s back fit but not playing, January could be interesting. United were one of the teams who looked at him in August. But Chelsea still like him a lot, they see a big future for him.

“They still think of him as someone who can challenge for those midfield spots alongside Caicedo and Fernández – even though it won’t be easy with Santos there as well.”

Romeo Lavia will face competition at Chelsea

Even though the Blues paid a high price to sign Lavia initially, the club now has plenty of competition in central midfield, especially with Andrey Santos joining the squad.

However, Chelsea will not apologise to any player within the group for the fact that there’s competition, as that is what the club wants.

The belief within the club is that everyone in Chelsea’s squad has to be of sufficient quality, and they believe that Lavia fits that description.

Lavia will likely be the fourth-choice option when he returns, but Chelsea believe he can challenge for the midfield spots alongside Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez.