Manchester United reportedly rejected a proposal from director of football Jason Wilcox to sign Romeo Lavia in a player-swap deal involving Alejandro Garnacho last summer. This week, reports emerged that United passed up the opportunity to swap Garnacho for Lavia, despite the Chelsea starlet having previously caught the eye of Pep Guardiola. Doubts were cast over Garnacho's future at the end of last season following his remarks about United's disappointing 15th place finish in the Premier League.
The Argentine subsequently secured a £40million transfer to Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea believed to have offered Lavia as part of the deal for Garnacho. The Red Devils were also heavily linked with Brighton's Carlos Baleba, but a move failed to materialise due to his hefty £100m price tag. The Daily Mail reports that it was Wilcox, who worked at Manchester City and Southampton - Lavia's former clubs before his move to Chelsea - who enquired about the 21-year-old's availability. However, United turned down the proposal due to concerns over the youngster's fitness.
Lavia, who is widely regarded as a promising talent, has had his time at Chelsea marred by fitness issues. He sustained a quadriceps injury during Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Qarabag in the Champions League earlier this month. Guardiola heaped praise on Lavia in April 2023, with the City manager expressing his admiration for the young player, saying: "I am really impressed with what Romeo has done and is doing.
"We had, and we have, an incredible opinion about him. We thought to keep him, but maybe he would not (get) enough minutes like he has in Southampton." As Lavia is currently sidelined with injury, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca offered an update, saying: "We feel very ashamed, especially for him, because he’s not able to be fit for a long, long period. The main target [after his return] is to be fit. Don’t get any injuries."
"For me, at this moment, Romeo is where Reece [James] was one year ago - coming back after a long period out. We need to manage him every minute, every day, every second. The target is to keep him fit and help him enjoy football again."
Maresca also praised the midfielder's attitude in training and his eagerness to return to full fitness. "We are happy with the way he's progressing. It's my duty to protect him, even if that means limiting his minutes. He’s an important player for us and a wonderful person, so this hurts everyone inside the club."
Meanwhile, United are predicted to delve back into the transfer market come January, with a potential move for either Baleba or Stuttgart's Angelo Stiller on the cards. However, they might not have found themselves in this predicament had they taken up Chelsea's alleged offer for Lavia.