Romeo Lavia, who chose to sign with Chelsea over Liverpool, has allegedly “made a mistake,” according to Paul Machin, who thinks the midfielder may come to regret his choice.
The 19-year-old was heavily connected to the Reds for the majority of the summer transfer window, but like Moises Caicedo, the Belgian turned them down and instead moved from Southampton to Stamford Bridge in a £58 million deal (Sky Sports).
He is currently unable to play for the Blues, who were languishing in 14th place in the Premier League before winning twice in the previous week, due to an ongoing ankle injury.
While describing Lavia as a “talented” player in an interview with GIVEMESPORT, Machin insisted that Chelsea overpaid for him and that Liverpool won’t have lost any sleep over their failure to sign him.
The TV host for The Redmen said:
“I think everyone who chose to sign for Chelsea in the last 18 months has made a mistake. Lavia is the least high-profile of those, to be honest.
“He has made a mistake because, ultimately, if he wanted to play football, going to Chelsea after they had just broken the British transfer record by signing a defensive midfielder in Moises Caicedo didn’t seem like the smartest move.
“That club is a mess. Chelsea is an absolute mess of a football club from top to bottom right now. It’s a shame for Lavia because he is a talented boy, but he was overpriced for where he was in his development. He’s made a mistake joining Chelsea, but it’s actually probably been to Liverpool’s benefit.”
Lavia’s choice to reject Liverpool felt like a hammer blow at a time when the Reds were desperately trying to sign a defensive midfielder, much like Caicedo, who cost the Blues £115 million (The Times).
Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch, who together cost a little less than the Belgian, were later signed, allowing Jurgen Klopp to tick that box before the summer transfer deadline, and the Dutchman instantly made a significant impact at Anfield.
Lavia was ‘overpriced,’ as Machin correctly notes, with Southampton rejecting three offers from Liverpool as they continually wanted £50 million or more for a player with only one season of regular senior football to his name, one in which he distinguished himself for a squad that finished last in the Premier League.
Although the 19-year-old could still prosper at Chelsea, it seems highly improbable that Liverpool would have chosen Gravenberch had they been successful in their pursuit of him.
Although both players have only recently joined their respective teams, the early indications suggest that the Reds will be getting a considerably better deal.
The Anfield administration will likely be grateful for how their quest for a midfielder ultimately turned out, despite the initial disappointment of missing out on Lavia.