Are Chelsea pursuing this teenage Belgian midfielder who has evolved fast?

Chelsea are reportedly planning a mega transfer offer worth £50 million in the winter window to land Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia's signature.

The teenager has come up as one of the frontline defensive midfield prospects in Europe in the current season.

The Belgian footballer joined Southampton from Manchester City for an initial price of £10.5 million earlier this summer and since then, he cemented his place as a surprise first-team starter.

Romeo Lavia of Southampton in action during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Manchester United at Friends Provident St. Mary's Stadium on August 27, 2022 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Lavia shot to fame after delivering a brilliant performance in his team's 2-1 victory over Chelsea last August. His long-range goal in the 28th minute made him the first 2004-born player to score in the Premier League.

Speaking to talkSPORT, transfer guru Alex Crook spoke about Chelsea's hunt for a midfielder. He said, "We know particularly in that midfield area, the Blues were in talks for Enzo Fernandez. That hasn't happened yet. I know that N'Golo Kante is close to agreeing a new deal at Stamford Bridge, but can you really rely on him to stay fit for a prolonged period of time?"

Highlighting Lavia as a potential target, Crook added, "Romeo Lavia is a really talented young player. His best performance in a Southampton shirt was probably against them back in late August. They only signed him from Manchester City back in the summer for a relatively modest fee of just £10.5 million."

Speaking on The Blues' pursuit of Lavia, Crook said, "Chelsea did make a transfer bid a few weeks later in that window, but Southampton rejected it. They are anticipating fresh interest. It could be a bid of up to £50 million. That is going to be a real test for the Sport Republic group if they want to keep this player."

Lavia has so far featured in nine Premier League games.