Romeo Lavia's career has not been easy: he had to leave Manchester City due to a lack of opportunities, as happened to Cole Palmer, and chose Southampton as his destination. On the south coast of England during those years, it was not a pleasant experience to be part of the team that approached the record for fewest points in a Premier League season, and that's where he landed.

However, thanks to his good touch on the ball and his exuberant physique, he made a name for himself in the English top flight enough for Chelsea to decide to invest more than £53 million to secure his services. However, at Stamford Bridge, they have not been able to determine whether his transfer was a successful bet or a mistake because injuries have kept him out longer than desired.

In theory, Maresca trusted a double pivot formed by the Belgian and Moises Caicedo, with Enzo further forward in matches when Palmer was unavailable, but now that he returns to the pitch, things have changed. Maresca is no longer in London, and Enzo is indispensable in the engine room while the No. 10 sits behind the striker.

Even so, the Blues' board has great faith in Lavia, and having written off this season, anything he can contribute from now until the end of the campaign will be welcome. The goal for Liam Rosenior's side is to finish in the top four; the financial losses would be considerable.

Lavia, 22, has recorded a total of 30 official appearances for Chelsea since his arrival at the club in August 2023. During this period, the player has not scored any goals, although he has recorded one assist across all competitions.

His Stamford Bridge trajectory began with limited involvement in the 2023/24 season due to injuries, playing only one Premier League match. In the 2024/25 campaign, Lavia increased his presence on the field, playing 22 matches, helping the club win the Conference League and qualify for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

In the current 2025/26 season, Lavia has played in 7 matches, including 4 league games, totaling 105 minutes. His statistics reflect a pass accuracy of 95.5% and 100% effectiveness in aerial duels during his Premier League minutes.

At the international level, the midfielder has two appearances in the UEFA Champions League, recording a distribution accuracy of 98% in his continental interventions this year.

Roundtablesports is Free to join! You can post your own thoughts, comment on articles, and start conversations with our Roundtable Writers. 

Download the FREE Roundtable APP, and get even easier access to your favorite teams and news!