Split image - Emiliano Martinez of Chelsea and Florian Wirtz of Liverpool
Split image - Emiliano Martinez of Chelsea and Florian Wirtz of Liverpool
Image of Bournemouth's Alex Scott looking off camera during a match against Liverpool, with a news overlay about him potentially being on sale in January
Photo by David Horton – CameraSport via Getty Images
Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP via Getty Images
Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP via Getty Images
Chelsea player ratings vs Leeds
Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by David Horton - CameraSport via Getty Images
Photo by David Horton - CameraSport via Getty Images
Photo by Cesar Ortiz Gonzalez /NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Cesar Ortiz Gonzalez /NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by David Horton – CameraSport via Getty Images
When the Belgian is fit, there are few midfielders in the world who can resist a press and protect the ball as well as he does.
It is high praise, but you can even compare Lavia to Rodri because of that aspect of his game. Rodri may just be the most press-resistant midfielder in football, but a fit Lavia is not far away.
“He has it all: good footwork, doesn’t lose the ball,” former Anderlecht manager Hein Vanhaezebrouck said when discussing Lavia during the international break. France boss Zinedine Zidane was also full of praise for Lavia following his side’s 4-1 win over Belgium.
On Lavia and his assist during the game, Zidane said: “I didn’t watch his individual performance because I was keeping an eye on my own players, but I really liked his pass, yes. I watched it again in the changing room at half-time, during the analysis. He’s a quality player.”
Chelsea need that profile of midfielder for their biggest games of the season, games where they take on the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool, who will press them high up the pitch. Without that, it is hard to get out of defence.
Ultimately, Chelsea still need a new midfielder. They never replaced Enzo Fernandez and there is no guarantee that Lavia will be able to stay fit for the remainder of the season.
But to spend over £100m on a player who might not even be an upgrade on what you already have is a bold move. There have got to be cheaper alternatives to the England international, although money has never been an issue for Chelsea. With that being the case, not every Chelsea supporter is going to be against this potential signing.