Chelsea hold talks with relegated star but Arsenal remain interested: Reports 

Chelsea have reportedly held talks with Arsenal target and Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia in the recent past.

Lavia, 19, has been a hot topic of transfer speculation for the last couple of months as he has attracted interest from a number of Premier League giants. He was one of the rare positives for Southampton during the 2022-23 season.

A right-footed midfield engine pace and power, the one-cap Belgium international joined the Saints from Manchester City for an initial fee of £10.5 million in 2022. He scored once in 35 appearances for the Saints last term.

According to The Guardian, Chelsea have already sat down with Lavia's agents to discuss a potential summer deal. They are considered to be in pole position to sign the gifted teenager, but Arsenal are still lurking in the background.

Should the Belgian secure a permanent move to the Blues this summer, he could prove to be a stellar signing in the long run. He would likely replace N'Golo Kante, who is expected to finalise a summer move to Al-Ittihad in the near future.

Lavia, who has a contract until June 2027 at the St. Mary's Stadium, has also been linked with a summer transfer to Liverpool and Manchester United. Meanwhile, he reportedly has a buy-back clause of around £40 million with City.

Arsenal urged to sign 21-year-old midfielder ahead of Chelsea

Arsenal great Robert Pires has urged his erstwhile team to snap up Chelsea target Moises Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion ahead of the upcoming season. He told El Canal del Futbol during an interaction earlier this month:

"I hope he signs for Arsenal this summer. Mikel Arteta wants to sign him since a long time... he's got all the tools needed to succeed at Arsenal. The club are willing to pay big money for him and that's testament to his ability."

Caicedo, 21, has been on both the Premier League giants' radar since the start of the winter transfer window. He was reportedly subject to a £55 million bid from the Blues and two transfer bids worth £60 million and £70 million from Mikel Arteta's outfit earlier this year. However, Brighton decided to reject all three offers and hand their player a contract extension.

The Ecuador international is close to agreeing personal terms with Chelsea after preliminary discussions, as per Fabrizio Romano. He is expected to depart for around £80 million, according to the Italian journalist.

Chelsea currently have Enzo Fernandez and Mateo Kovacic as their two starters. The latter is reportedly expected to switch to Manchester City this summer.