Former Southampton star Theo Walcott has expressed his belief that Romeo Lavia made a mistake by choosing Chelsea over Liverpool.
Lavia, who moved to Stamford Bridge nearly a year ago in a £58 million transfer from relegated Southampton, has struggled to make an impact at Chelsea due to injury setbacks.
Lavia’s Challenging First Season at Chelsea
The 20-year-old signed a seven-year contract with Chelsea but barely featured last season due to a serious injury that sidelined him for much of the campaign.
Lavia is now aiming to revive his career under Chelsea’s new manager Enzo Maresca, having participated actively in pre-season.
However, Walcott remains concerned about his former teammate’s decision to join Chelsea instead of Liverpool.
Theo Walcott’s Concerns and Advice
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Theo Walcott praised Lavia’s talent but questioned the midfielder’s decision to join Chelsea.
“He’s a very talented footballer,” Walcott said. “He trained his heart out, probably trained too much. He had a serious injury and obviously missed a whole year.”
Walcott suggested that Liverpool would have been a better fit for Lavia, especially given the club’s midfield rebuild at the time.
“Liverpool would be the perfect club for right now because the midfield was rebuilding at that particular time,” he added.
Walcott also expressed concerns about Lavia’s future at Chelsea, given the club’s tendency to loan out players who struggle to break into the first team.
“With the number of players they are signing, good players just won’t get a chance.
They just won’t be seen at Chelsea,” he warned. “I am worried Romeo Lavia will just be one of those Chelsea players that will just be gone, and you won’t hear much about.”
In a previous report from Sportsbuddy, Theo Walcott revealed how Mikel Arteta locked the dressing room while he was still an Arsenal player.
