Following the unfortunate sale of Cole Palmer through Manchester City, Pep Guardiola has made sure to worry about Romeo Lavia. Former Arsenal player Theo Walcott has expressed concern that the promising midfielder could become lost in Chelsea’s crowded dressing room due to his high spending and the threat fading into obscurity.
Lavia signed for the Blues last summer for £53m plus signings but has been plagued by injuries. Guardiola may have feared the former City star would prosper like his team-mate Palmer, whom the Spaniard has already praised highly.
However, Walcott is concerned that Lavia could simply be through new manager Enzo Maresca, especially given Conor Gallagher’s stalled deal with Atlético Madrid, which would add another midfielder to an already fierce festival for football. of the first team, reports the Mirror.
Walcott played alongside Lavia at Southampton after signing him from Man City in 2022 for around £14m. The Belgian made a big impression in his only season with the Saints, becoming one of the league’s young defensive midfielders.
Guardiola has in the past expressed remorse for letting the player leave the Etihad, but rumours that Lavia could struggle at Chelsea (unlike Palmer, who have one of the most level-headed strikers in the Premier League since leaving City) may ease his concerns.
“He is a very talented footballer,” Walcott told the BBC. “He trained with all his heart, probably too much. He had a serious injury and obviously missed a whole year. There were rumors that he was going to Chelsea or Liverpool, and I thought, as a player, that’s the best. Liverpool would be the best club in this moment as a rebuilding midfielder at the time.
“Of course, the players can choose, but in terms of his career, he has stagnated a bit. The new coach [Maresca] came, he brought in Dewsbury-Hall, there is Conor Gallagher, players similar to A. To a certain extent period, with the amount of players they are signing, intelligent players who probably wouldn’t have a chance, would probably go unnoticed at Chelsea,” Walcott added.
“They will be loaned to clubs in lower leagues and will not appear. I’m afraid Romeo Lavia is one of the Chelsea players who will just disappear, and you probably won’t hear much about it. “
Their scenario will be made more complicated by the fact that Gallagher returned to London on Tuesday night after his £33million deal with Atletico was blocked at the final hurdle. Since then, he has returned to training with the Maresca team.
While the deal is still absolutely closed and Joao Felix may still return to Les Bleus, it is possible that Lavia will face more of a festival in an already packed midfield.
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Chelsea ace Palmer, who shone as the club’s star player last season, has further cemented his important role within the team by signing a new contract extension this week. His commitment now extends for two more years, ensuring he will remain with the Blues until 2033.
Guardiola gave the impression of remorse for the decision to let the English prodigy leave Manchester City. Reflecting on this last April, Guardiola said: “He asked for two seasons to leave Manchester City. I told him: stay. He searched after we left. What can we do?!
The City manager praised Palmer, saying: “He’s an exceptional player with wonderful potential. . . I haven’t given him the minutes he deserves and that he now has at Chelsea. “
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