Chelsea have strongly refuted reports they offered the injury-plagued Romeo Lavia to Manchester United as part of a potential summer deal for winger Alejandro Garnacho.
Chelsea has publicly responded to reports suggesting that midfielder Romeo Lavia was included in a potential trade offer to Premier League rivals Manchester United during the summer window, according to a report from Sports Illustrated.
The claims stated that Chelsea attempted to include the 21-year-old in their offer for United’s Alejandro Garnacho.
As reported by ESPN, Chelsea’s purported proposal was rejected by Manchester United, allegedly due to concerns over Lavia’s fitness record. Chelsea ultimately secured Garnacho for a fee of £40 million.
However, reporter Fabrizio Romano states that the Blues have denied the claims surrounding Lavia—who is contracted with Chelsea until the summer of 2030—and the alleged offer to their rivals.
Lavia has struggled with injuries this season. He previously missed 10 games for the club at the start of the campaign and recently sustained a fresh quadriceps injury during the Champions League draw against Qarabag earlier this month.
Reports suggest the midfielder will be out for “at least a month” due to this latest setback.
The injury crisis extends beyond Lavia. Another defensive midfielder brought in over the summer, Dario Essugo, picked up a long-term thigh injury while on international duty in September and is “not expected to return until December or January.”
This leaves only Moises Caicedo and Andrey Santos as the fit natural number sixes in the squad, forcing manager Enzo Maresca to deploy players like Reece James and Malo Gusto in midfield to manage the congested schedule.
Chelsea’s current focus is stated to be “fully focused on finding a solution to resolve and improve Lavia’s fitness issues.”