Speaking about the decision to let Lavia leave Manchester City, he explained: “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.”
Chelsea and Arsenal are also interested in Lavia, making a move away from St Mary’s somewhat inevitable before the 2023/24 Premier League campaign begins. The midfielder has featured in pre-season for Southampton recently, playing 45 minutes against Bournemouth on Tuesday.
His performance left plenty to be desired, with Saints boss Russell Martin explaining that the midfielder has a lot on his plate at the moment. He explained: “I thought Romeo, considering what’s going on, to play tonight and do all that stuff, it was good for him to get on the pitch as he has not had the minutes other people have had. Romeo has a lot in his head.”