Man Utd ‘Rejected’ Chance To Sign Chelsea Star Who Has Been Described As “One Of The Best” Out There

BACK David Tully Nov 18th 2025 Man Utd could have signed Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia as part of the deal for Alejandro Garnacho, according to reports. ESPN claim that the Red Devils “rejected” the opportunity to take the Belgian international because of his injury history. Lavia cost £58m when he was signed from Southampton in the summer of 2023, but he has only managed to play 30 times for the Blues during that period. Even so, it is still surprising that he was offered to Ruben Amorim’s side, considering that Garnacho eventually left Old Trafford in a deal worth £40m. Chelsea were clearly willing to take a hit on the amount they paid for the midfielder. Lavia has received high praise from his manager When the 21-year-old has been fit, he has caught the eye with his performances. Speaking after Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Everton back in April, Blues’ head coach Enzo Maresca said: “When he is fit, he is one of the best midfielders. He can defend very well, he can attack, he can break the line and pass between the lines.” There is no doubting Lavia’s ability but the Red Devils were correct to turn down the chance to secure his signature. He is currently on the treatment table with a muscular injury he sustained in a Champions League fixture against Qarabag earlier this month. Who will Man Utd target to strengthen their midfield? ESPN name Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller as the three main options that the club are considering at the moment. Interestingly, they do not mention Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, who has been suggested as a target by several other sources in recent weeks. Any approaches for the likes of Baleba or Wharton may have to wait until the summer, with the pair expected to cost a combined £180m. Read more about the Manchester United First Team Squad for 2025/26 here David Tully David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for the Football News Network.