Southampton’s new boss Nathan Jones might already have a huge decision to make regarding the future of one of his stars…

What’s the latest?

Despite having signed for the Saints in the recent summer, reports have surfaced to link Romeo Lavia with a move to Chelsea. The Blues reportedly had a £50m deadline day bid turned down too for the youngster.

Now, Fabrizio Romano has weighed in on the matter, speaking to GIVEMESPORT about how Manchester City’s buy-back clause might affect Graham Potter's pursuit:

“So now to bring in also Roméo Lavia from the same club could be something not so easy.

“So, my expectation is that in January is not going to be an easy one [for Chelsea] for Roméo Lavia, maybe in the summer.”

Big decision

With a player worth that kind of money, and the history of the south coast club selling their prized assets, it seems that Jones now has a big decision to make.

Whether he pleads with the club to allow him to keep a hold of the 18-year-old or cashes in to reinvest over January, it could be a choice that sees the club relegated should he pick incorrectly.

Despite having been ruled out for a large portion of the season, Lavia still has managed to make seven Premier League appearances and score his first senior goal, a scorching effort against the side who pursued him so profusely.

Alongside James Ward-Prowse, the two complement each other perfectly, blending tough-tackling and energy with a metronome-like ability to dictate the play from the skipper.

Whilst the young Belgian ranks in the top 5% for interceptions and the top 1% for blocks, the 28-year-old sits in the top 8% for shot-creating actions.

To break up this midfield before it has even had a full season to truly flourish would be a shame, but given the price tag touted and their history, it might be unassailable for Jones.

When £75m came for Virgil van Dijk, they could not deny it. The same occurred when £25m and £27m came for Adam Lallana and Luke Shaw respectively.

This barely scratches the surface of their sales over the last decade, and if recent form is anything to go by, it might be time for those around St Mary’s to bid farewell to their young star.