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.
They also have the opportunity to match any bid for Lavia made by another club, as well as a buy-back clause that was included in the negotiation of his sale 12 months ago.
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The 19-year-old is among a host of Manchester City academy graduates that City could re-sign, or profit from further, if they prove their potential. Lavia, Gavin Bazunu, Samuel Edozie, Juan Larios and Shea Charles (who is finalising his move) have gone to the south coast side for a combined figure of up to £50m.
In total, City made £65m profit last summer by selling academy players who had made just a handful of appearances for the senior team.
This window is set to be a similar figure, with the club already selling England u-21 star James Trafford to Vincent Kompany’s Burnley for up to £19m. Again, clauses are set to be included in that deal that will either see the promising goalkeeper return to the Etihad Stadium at some stage in his career or further profits for the club if he is sold elsewhere.
All of the deals that were negotiated as part of these player sales are reported to include similar clauses to the ones included in Lavia’s contract.
The shrewd selling of academy graduates for lofty fees means that City are able to operate in the transfer market without violating financial fair play. While Premier League and Champions League success are massive for revenue, it has also arguably never been more important to sell intelligently with FFP restrictions becoming even tighter for the 2022-23 season.
City’s transfer policy means that summer spending could, like last summer, cost the club next to nothing or even see them turn a profit.
