Chelsea are poised to return for a touted summer target in the forthcoming transfer window, providing some desired relief in the midst of a flagging campaign. 

Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri has tweeted that the Blues are said to rekindle their interest in teenage Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia.

His tweet read: “Romeo #Lavia , successor to Ngolo #Kante ? Still in the sights of #ChelseaFC, the midfielder of #SouthamptonFC is still one of the players targeted by the Blues as a defensive midfielder. To be continued.”

With Chelsea staking an audacious £50m proposal to Saints in the dying embers of the summer transfer window, despite the starlet only joining from Manchester City in a deal rising to £15m in July, the desire to secure their man appears unflinching, and the club will continue to pursue. 

Kante heir

Lavia may only be 18 years old, but he is already exhibiting maturity beyond his years and a glimpse of a future littered in success and accolades. 

Having made the switch from Manchester to Southampton, with Pep Guardiola’s team begrudgingly parting with the player to free up space for the £45m signing of Kalvin Phillips, there were high hopes down in Hampshire that their new wonderkid would flourish.

The precocious talent entered the first-team reckoning in an instant, starting Saints’ opening five fixtures of the season before unfortunately picking up a hamstring injury that ruled him out of contention for nine matches. 

Returning to make two appearances before the midseason break for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Chelsea have seemingly seen enough, and will observe his progress at the latter stage of December with vested interest as an offer lies in the pipeline. 

During his time on the pitch, Lavia took to the relentless pace of the Premier League like a duck to water, casting the weighted cloak of inexperience aside and excelling among his teammates. 

As per Sofascore, the former Sky Blue prodigy has recorded an average rating of 6.86 this term, ranking him fifth in the entire Saints squad - and it’s worth noting his two lowest ratings arrived in the matches following his return from injury.

Recording a pass accuracy of 88%, while also making 1.7 interceptions and 1.6 tackles, Lavia has been a ubiquitous force in the Southampton centre, winning 53% of his total duels.

The touted teen also scored a resounding strike against Chelsea in the early stages of the campaign, perhaps fuelling the club’s fire in succeeding in their efforts to lure him to Stamford Bridge. 

With Kante’s contract indeed expiring in the summer, along with play-making whiz Jorginho, Blues boss Graham Potter will understand the importance of securing a future for the club that will guarantee success.

Man City were reluctant to let Lavia leave, with correspondent Jonathan Smith calling him "outstanding", and some at the club believed he would eventually work his way into the first-team, but the speed of his burgeoning rise has been nothing short of spectacular.

Journalist Alfie House was also markedly impressed with the young ace, calling him a "technically excellent footballer who sets the tempo" for his team.

Chelsea believe they have found the heir to the eminent Kante’s throne in the midfield, and despite his tender years he could be nurtured at Stamford Bridge and given a platform to shine, an ascension to prominence on the biggest stage.