De Bruyne's role in helping Lavia become Premier League wonderkid
Romeo Lavia became a Premier League star after being spotted by Pep Guardiola in a tournament organised by Kevin De Bruyne.
The Belgium international, 19, is on the verge of joining Chelsea from Championship side Southampton in a £58million deal. He has snubbed Liverpool to join Mauricio Pochettino's side, with the transfer expected to be announced in the coming days.
Lavia's move to Stamford Bridge comes after a breakthrough season with the Saints. Although Southampton suffered relegation from the Premier League in May, the teenager impressed in midfield to leave England's biggest clubs chasing his signature.
Yet Lavia may not have become a Premier League favourite if it wasn't for Guardiola watching him in the KDB Cup, a tournament co-organised by the Manchester City midfielder. Lavia, who was 15 at the time, impressed enough to earn a move to the Etihad.
The youngster was on the books at Anderlecht when Guardiola watched him play in Belgium, his homeland. That persuaded the City boss to sign him as a 16-year-old, giving him the chance to flourish in one of European football's best academies.
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Lavia played two games for Guardiola's side during the 2021/22 campaign and trained with the first team. "He is very good," said De Bruyne in 2022. "He's been training with us since the end of last year. If he continues his development, I think he'll be a top player."
Yet it's hard for any young player to break into Guardiola's side. Lavia needed to leave the Etihad to play regularly and joined Southampton a year ago for an initial £10.5m. That allowed him to play 29 Premier League games last season and make a name for himself.
Kevin De Bruyne co-organises the KDB Cup (Getty Images)What do you make of Chelsea's decision to sign Romeo Lavia? Let us know in the comments below!
Lavia was expected to leave Southampton after their relegation, but they were unwilling to sell him on the cheap. The Saints demanded at least £50m for their prized asset because they owe City 20 per cent of any future sale.
Although City will make a small fortune from nurturing Lavia's ability, the decision to sell him to Southampton could come back to haunt them if he fulfils his potential at Stamford Bridge. Guardiola knows exactly how good his former player is.
The City boss said in April: "I am really impressed with what Romeo has done and is doing. We had, and we have, an incredible opinion about him. We thought to keep him, but maybe he would not (get) enough minutes like he has in Southampton."
Lavia will need to complete a medical and agree personal terms before his move to Chelsea is finalised. He is expected to be handed a long-term contract - perhaps up to eight or nine years long - as Chelsea continue to invest in young players.
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