- Romeo Lavia has been ruled out of the rest of the season due to injury
- The midfielder opted to snub Liverpool and signed for Chelsea instead
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Liverpool fans believe they have ‘dodged a bullet’ after it was announced on Wednesday that Romeo Lavia will be ruled out of the rest of the season.
The 20-year-old, who has played just 32 minutes for Chelsea this season, turned down the Merseyside side in the summer in favor of a move to Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
Liverpool had submitted several offers for the former Southampton midfielder, but Chelsea swooped in at the last minute to sign the midfielder for £58 million on a seven-year deal.
Despite this, Lavia has been cruelly plagued by injuries this season. He had returned from an ankle problem to play in Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace in December, but subsequently suffered a significant thigh injury.
It was confirmed that he will now miss the rest of the season due to a setback in his recovery from that problem, with some Liverpool fans claiming on social media that they might have been better off without him.
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One fan wrote: ‘Such a shame to be honest. Looks like we dodged a huge bullet.”
Another said: ‘Remember when they hijacked that deal from Liverpool.’
Despite missing out on Lavia, Jurgen Klopp’s side would instead sign Wataru Endo and Dominik Szoboszlai, both of whom have played a crucial role in helping the Reds rise to second in the league.
“How lucky I am to have you, Endo,” said another fan, posting a photo of the Reds midfielder.
Chelsea announced the news on Wednesday afternoon with a statement saying: ‘Mifield player Romeo Lavia will unfortunately have to miss the remainder of our 2023-2024 season after a setback in his recovery.
“Recent medical examinations have confirmed that Lavia, who suffered a significant thigh injury against Crystal Palace in December, will not play again this season.”
Liverpool had also attempted to sign Moises Caicedo last summer but were once again poached by the Blues, with the former Brighton midfielder opting to join Chelsea for £115 million.
The Belgian’s injury epitomizes Chelsea’s woes this season, with Pochettino having to work with a depleted squad that has seen its captain Reece James absent for extended periods this season.
Lavia’s absence could also be costly, with Chelsea actually paying £1.8m per minute he has played during the season.
Chelsea are back in action on Saturday when Pochettino’s side welcome Burnley to Stamford Bridge, but the Blues are still likely to be without a number of key stars including Levi Colwill, Christopher Nkunku and Wesley Fofana.
More to follow…