Southampton starlet Romeo Lavia could return to Manchester City just one year after leaving and the club have first refusal on the Belgian. While making 29 Premier League appearances, the Belgian, 19, attracted attention from across the league’s top clubs with Chelsea seeing a bid rejected last summer just two months after the youngster had signed for Southampton.
Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United are all reported to be vying for the Belgium international, who impressed in a poor Southampton side that was eventually relegated. Even if Lavia doesn't return to City this summer, the Blues will profit to the tune of 20 per cent of the selling fee as part of the transfer they negotiated with Southampton a year ago.
A fee of up to £50m will be required to take the midfielder away from the south coast meaning City will make another £10m from an academy graduate they sold for £14m. That deal would be similar to the one that saw the club profit £11m from Pedro Porro’s move to Tottenham Hotspur in January.
