Eden Hazard congratulated Romeo Lavia following his move from Southampton to Chelsea (Picture: Chelsea FC)
Eden Hazard has sent a message of congratulations to Romeo Lavia after his compatriot completed his transfer from Southampton to Chelsea.
The Blues legend, currently without a club following his departure from Real Madrid, was delighted to see his fellow Belgian pick Chelsea amid rival interest from Liverpool.
Chelsea sealed the acquisition of Lavia for a reported £53million, possibly rising to £58m, taking their total number of first-team acquisitions this summer to eight.
The 19-year-old, who has played just 29 times in the Premier League, has signed a seven-year deal having made clear earlier this week his desire to move to Stamford Bridge over Liverpool, who also had a bid accepted.
Chelsea have now spent more than £350m during this transfer window once performance-related add-ons are taken into account, though that has been significantly offset by fees received for player sales.
Lavia told the club’s website: ‘I can’t wait to meet all my new team-mates and build a chemistry together to achieve great things together.”
Lavia, who made his Belgium debut in a friendly win against Germany in March, will likely compete with Enzo Fernandez and fellow new-signing Moises Caicedo – the two most expensive players in English transfer history – for a starting place in Mauricio Pochettino’s midfield.
Chelsea broke that record for the second time in eight months on Monday with the capture of Caicedo from Brighton for an initial £100m, possibly rising to £115, eclipsing the £106m they paid Benfica for Fernandez in January.
More: Trending
Co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said: ‘We are very pleased to welcome Romeo to Chelsea.
‘He demonstrated his quality in the Premier League last season at Southampton, showing maturity despite his young age, and is a player we have monitored for some time.’
MORE : Chelsea confirm signing of Romeo Lavia from Southampton
MORE : Romeo Lavia sends farewell message to Southampton as Chelsea move is confirmed
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Agent Hazard!