Lavia swapped the Etihad Stadium for Southampton in July for a fee of roughly £12m having not yet made his Premier League debut for the reigning champions. City, clearly well aware of Lavia’s immense talent, inserted a buyback clause in the deal that saw him become a Saints player but that clause is only valid from next summer. And speaking to Belgian media this week, Lavia opened up on the potential interest from his former club.
Romeo Lavia said: “It’s still too early to talk about it. I remain focused on the rest of the season with Southampton even if collectively it is difficult (with Saints in the relegation zone). But I keep hope and I remain confident.”
There were reports that Lavia had a chance of making Belgium’s World Cup squad in November before a serious hamstring injury suffered in Siants’ 2-1 win against Chelsea halted his skyrocketing progress. Asked about how he handled missing the tournament,
Romeo Lavia reflected: “Very calmly. I am still a young player. I knew my moment was coming. The only person putting pressure on me is myself. But I’m very happy to be here. It is an immense pride to join this group. Now that I’m part of it, I try to do everything to get to know my teammates.”
Still just 19-year-old, Lavia has looked like a seasoned professinal virtually from the moment he first stepped onto the pitch for Saints, the byproduct of an impressive football upbringing that took him from Anderlecht to Man City with significant extra work on the side.
Romeo Lavia explained: “Since the age of 13, I have had a personal physical trainer named Ronald Kabeya. It is also through him that I met Johan Bakayoko, whom I am very happy to find with the Red Devils. We worked a lot together during the slower moments of the season. I became aware very young of my qualities and of the fact that talent is not enough to perform. I was also well supported during my adventure at Manchester City and I try to store all the advice I have been given. I am a very ambitious person so everything is possible and imaginable.”
