Jason Wilcox personally pursued deal for £58m Chelsea star in Alejandro Garnacho talks over summer

When Manchester United and Chelsea were negotiating their deal for Alejandro Garnacho over the summer, Romeo Lavia’s name was brought up in conversations.It was one Red Devils chief who put forth the prospect of the midfielder swapping Stamford Bridge for Old Trafford: Jason Wilcox.Wilcox would’ve liked to see Lavia at United(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)According to MailSport, United’s director of football angled for the player’s arrival due to his prior connections with Lavia, having worked at both Southampton and Manchester City – Lavia’s former clubs.Kieran Gill’s report emphasises that several players’ names would’ve been put on the table amid the sides’ lengthy talks, which culminated with Chelsea completing a straight £40 million acquisition of Garnacho in a seven-year deal. Chelsea Confidential 🔵 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Delap & Tuchel talks coming up👀 Twist in the Lavia & Man Utd links❓ Estevao or Neto? Burnley prediction⭐️ George, January, £22m+⚓️ Blues and the “anchoring” vote🪡 New treatment training at #CFC https://t.co/W6Wr1gpqYQ — Kieran Gill (@kierangill_DM) November 19, 2025Ultimately, United were right not to proceed with a move for the Belgian international, as his injury record would be a major red flag for any potential suitor.Why Lavia would’ve been a risky signing for Ruben Amorim(Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)Since joining the Blues in a £58m switch from Southampton in 2023, Lavia has missed a whopping 71 matches in all competitions across two-and-a-half seasons. 54 of those games came in the Premier League alone, where he’s been limited to only 21 appearances and 12 starts.Even since 2025/2026 got underway, the 21-year-old has been ruled out of six of the opening 11 fixtures, making him a hugely unreliable option for any manager to have to try and rely on.Unfortunately for Lavia, his fitness record clouds his talent on the field; during his time with the Saints, he became one of the most coveted youngsters across Europe, and even snubbed a transfer to Liverpool in favour of signing for the London outfit.Read more: ‘Kompany called me personally’ – Ten Hag signing opens up on 11th-hour summer approach from Bayern Munich