Chelsea are “stepping up” attempts to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, according to The Athletic’s Simon Johnson.

The journalist, writing alongside his colleague Liam Twomey, claims that the Blues are likely to make a formal offer for the Belgian international after missing out on Sporting Lisbon’s Manuel Ugarte.

Lavia moved to the south coast from Manchester City a year ago for £14m and he was one of the few players that performed well despite the club’s relegation to the Championship.

Despite dropping down a division, though, the Saints still want around £50m for the teenager, which is not a price that Mauricio Pochettino’s side are willing to pay.

Why is Lavia being targeted?

Chelsea actually made an offer for the 19-year-old just a month after he joined Southampton last year, and their interest in the player has not diminished since then.

Chelsea appointed Joe Shields as co-Director of Recruitment and Talent back in October. He was instrumental in bringing Lavia to Southampton and he appears to be the main driving force behind the Blues’ pursuit of the player now.

The midfielder is still a pretty raw talent. He only has a year’s worth of experience in senior football under his belt, but his potential means that the Blues may be prepared to shell out a sizeable sum to snap him up this summer.

Do Chelsea have alternative midfield targets?

It is believed that both Brighton’s Moises Caicedo and West Ham captain Declan Rice remain on the club’s radar but neither deal looks realistic at the moment.

In Caicedo’s case, his £70m+ asking price is a major obstacle, with the Blues needing to raise funds from player sales before being able to match the Ecuadorian’s valuation.

With Rice, it appears Arsenal are now heavy favourites to secure his signature, with discussions over a £100m move being held.