Manchester United reportedly rejected an offer from director of football Jason Wilcox to sign Romeo Rabia in a player swap deal for Alejandro Garnacho last summer. Reports emerged this week that United had passed up the opportunity to swap Garnacho for Lavia, despite the Chelsea star having been on the radar of manager Josep Guardiola. Garnacho’s future was called into question following his comments about United’s disappointing 15th place finish in the Premier League at the end of last season.
The Argentine has since secured a £40m move to Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea thought to have made an offer for Lavia as part of a deal for Garnacho. The Red Devils were also close to signing Brighton’s Carlos Baleva, but the move was not materialized due to the high transfer fee of £100 million. The Daily Mail reports that the 21-year-old’s availability was inquired by Wilcox, who previously worked at Manchester City and Southampton before joining Chelsea. However, United declined this offer due to concerns about the player’s fitness.
Widely regarded as a promising talent, Lavia’s time at Chelsea has been marred by fitness issues. He injured his quadriceps during Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Qarabag in the Champions League earlier this month. Guardiola praised Lavia in April 2023, with the City manager expressing his admiration for the young player: “I’m really impressed with what Romeo has done and what he’s doing.”
“We had an incredible opinion about him and still do. We thought about keeping him, but he probably won’t get as much playing time as he did at Southampton.” Lavia is currently sidelined with injury, so Chel Sea coach Enzo Maresca provided an update, saying: “We are very embarrassed, especially for him, because he cannot be fit for a long, long period of time. The main goal (on his return) is to get fit. Avoid getting injured.”
“For me, in this moment, Romeo is what Reece (James) was a year ago. He’s back after a long absence and we have to manage him every minute, every day, every second. The goal is to keep him healthy and help him enjoy playing football again.”
Maresca also praised the midfielder’s training attitude and eagerness to return to full fitness. “We are happy with his progress and it is my duty to protect him, even if it means limiting his playing time. This is heartbreaking for everyone at the club as he is an important player for us and a great person.”
Meanwhile, United are expected to re-enter the transfer market next January, with either Baleva or Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller likely to be their favorites. However, if Chelsea had accepted the offer for Lavia, they might not have found themselves in this predicament.
