Manchester United went into the transfer window with a long list of deals that needed to be completed. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS looked to overhaul United’s squad to one that would better fit Ruben Amorim’s style of play and avoid another catastrophic Premier League season.
In terms of outgoings, they looked to offload their “bomb squad”. They successfully moved on, whether temporarily or permanently, all of its members bar Tyrell Malacia. The club also managed to move on Rasmus Hojlund on a loan with a conditional option to buy to Napoli.
On the recruitment side of things, going into the window, the priority was attacking midfielders and a striker, which United successfully signed. Once those deals were completed, the club looked at signing a goalkeeper and a midfielder, with the former arriving on deadline day with Royal Antwerp’s Senne Lammens.
However, the crucial midfielder was not signed despite several inquiries to a number of players. It has now been revealed that United approached Chelsea about the signing of one of their defensive midfielders.
Chelsea star Lavia among those Man Utd inquired about in midfield hunt
News has emerged that during their fruitless hunt for a new midfielder, Manchester United approached Chelsea over the signing of Romeo Lavia. The £53 million midfielder joined Chelsea in 2023 from Southampton.
Speaking to United in Focus reporter Graeme Bailey, revealed that United were interested in the Chelsea midfielder and could be keen again come Janaury.
“Speaking to sources, away from the likes of Baleba, Hjulmand and Gallagher, another they did ask about was Lavia. Lavia is a very interesting option and not one Chelsea thought about letting go, I’m told, but let’s see what happens with him. Andrey Santos has come in now, too. Things could be different in January.”
The report also indicated that Lavia was one of the club’s four main midfield targets. Other midfielders included Sporting Lisbon’s Morten Hjulmand, Atlético Madrid’s Connor Gallagher and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, with the latter being priced at over £100 million following United’s inquiry.
Where Lavia ranks among United's midfield targets
United weren’t expected to have massive amounts available to spend in the transfer window this summer, but they ended up spending £216 million thanks to player sales, sell-on clauses and a new revolving credit facility. It is currently uncertain if they have enough left over to sign a new midfielder in January or if they have to wait until next summer.
If the money is available, then they will likely look at the same options they did this summer, in which case Lavia may not be the best candidate. Options like Baleba and Gallagher have performed to a higher standard in recent seasons and are more likely to be an immediate upgrade to the United squad.
One of the main reasons that these two have performed better than Lavia in recent seasons is that they’ve been available far more often.
While he could turn out to be a fantastic midfielder, his injury record makes signing him a massive gamble. Since joining Chelsea, Lavia has averaged 11.5 appearances a season, and with a club like United, who will hope to be back in Europe next season, that means he may only be available for a quarter of their games.
If Lavia was signed at the end of the summer transfer window after nothing else worked out, then he would be a useful addition to the squad. However, given the other options available, Lavia should be further down United’s transfer wishlist for January.