There are clear attractions to raiding Southampton this summer as their better players are left in transfer purgatory. Stars such as Romeo Lavia, Kyle Walker-Peters and James Ward-Prowse are all sure to attract high-level suitors whilst newer youngsters will also be on the list as cheap bargains.
Chelsea, who are after someone of Lavia's mould, age and skill in midfield, won't be the only ones snooping around to pick up a deal at a cut-price after their relegation for the Premier League was confirmed. Armel Bella-Kotchap is another that could garner interest having come to England with high hopes.
For the Blues, who also have the advantage of taking former recruitment director Joe Shields from the south coast club, they may also be looking elsewhere, too. Although Ward-Prowse and Lavia are the obvious duo, Walker-Peters has emerged a previous option.
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Lavia himself has a release clause that will allow Manchester City to re-sign him in 2024 but that may not stop clubs coming in hot for him this summer. As for his English teammate Walker-Peters, the former Tottenham full-back was looked at by the club last summer as a back-up to Reece James with Cesar Azpilicueta coming close to leaving.
Heading into the next window and Chelsea do have more choice in defence having signed Malo Gusto, but injury concerns for both him and James still leave questions over the position.
Walker-Peters is no longer one of the players being pursued but there could be a guaranteed addition for the Blues and Mauricio Pochettino if they so wish. One of the options heading into 2023 was to re-sign former academy star Tino Livramento and, although a risk, it could become an avenue worth exploring once again.
If the fitness concerns around James and Gusto do not ease heading into the new season then his £38million buy-back clause may well come into consideration. Before his season ending cruciate ligament injury last year, his early signs of promise at Premier League level had sparked the interest of Manchester United according to reports.
Despite spending almost all of this campaign sidelined he is just 20 and still a player with immense promise. He had already proved in his brief time as a Southampton player that the £5million price paid for him was a steal and that there was plenty to be excited about.
In April he returned for the club's youth sides and Chelsea will have first refusal if he does move in the upcoming windows. Having highlighted his quality above Championship level, it is reasonable to imagine him making a quick step back up to another side in the division.
It would be a risk on the behalf of Chelsea and Livramento with game time, opportunities and physical development all to account for, but if the Blues want to sign someone who has shown flashes of being like Gareth Bale, the price tag and option is certainly not too steep.
"Do you know what," Theo Walcott said of the England youth starlet. "He reminds me a little bit of Gareth [Bale] when he came through as a full-back," Walcott said in a recent interview.
"That's a big statement of course to compare him to someone like that. But I just feel like his presence and the way he drives and the pace and the power and it's no surprise that you know what he's going to do."
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