Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will know Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea side inside out.
Maresca currently has a Chelsea squad that possesses a host of former City youth players, and it is set to get another one.
Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap is about to sign for Chelsea, meaning that he will join the likes of Cole Palmer and Romeo Lavia in west London.
Like Delap, Palmer and Lavia were also on City’s books once upon a time but are now shining at Chelsea.
Pep Guardiola discovered Romeo Lavia when he was just 14 years of age
It was actually Guardiola himself who spotted Lavia before urging City to sign the midfielder, according to one report.
As per the Daily Mail, Guardiola came across Lavia when he was a 14-year-old playing for Anderlecht at the KDB Cup, an international youth tournament that has been named after City legend Kevin De Bruyne.
Guardiola was so impressed with Lavia that he recommended that the young Belgian be signed, with the former Barcelona boss getting his wish.
Of course, City eventually sold Lavia to Southampton before his £58m move to Stamford Bridge in 2023.
Because of injuries, Lavia has missed a lot of games since joining Chelsea. However, when the Belgium international has played, he has impressed.
Palmer recently praised Lavia, predicting that he will one day become one of the best midfielders in the world.
What Pep Guardiola has said about Romeo Lavia
Although City let him go, Guardiola remains a huge fan of Lavia and actually thought about keeping the ex-Anderlecht youth star.
When the 54-year-old spoke about Lavia in a press conference back in 2023, which was shared by City’s official website, he said: “I am really impressed with what Romeo has done and is doing. We had, and we have, an incredible opinion about him.
“We thought to keep him, but maybe he would not [get] enough minutes like he has in Southampton.”
City’s loss has undoubtedly been Chelsea’s gain. It is just about keeping him fit now. Had Lavia not got injured this season, Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer thinks Chelsea could have finished higher in the Premier League table.
