Guardiola has 'INCREDIBLE OPINION' of Man Utd target

Tom Weber

• Updated: 7 Apr 2023 15:58 BST
• 3 min read

Pep Guardiola has revealed that he holds a Manchester United target in high esteem - and he regrets letting him go last summer.

Romeo Lavia has been one of the standout performers in a poor Southampton team since his €12.3 million move from Manchester City in July 2022. The 19-year-old's impressive form has seen him repeatedly linked with a big-money move to one of England's established elite, among them Manchester United.

The Belgian has made 26 appearances across all competitions this season, chipping in with a goal and an assist, though that is not really his game considering he is more of a midfield pivot. A tenacious ball-winner and carrier, Lavia has been a precocious talent since his move from Anderlecht to City at the age of 16 after which he immediately broke into higher age groups.

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When Southampton beat Chelsea 2-1 in August 2022, Lavia became the first player born in 2004 to score a Premier League goal. Chelsea were so enamoured by him that they submitted a sizeable bid after the game, but it was rebuffed by the Saints. In light of his outstanding form this season, Lavia's Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) has skyrocketed, currently peaking at €21.2m.

Manchester City managed to procure a €40m buy-back clause when Lavia went to the South Coast seeking more first-team minutes, and Pep Guardiola's recent comments suggest that City may be looking to make use of that clause in the future.

What did Guardiola say?

Speaking to the media ahead of City's trip to bottom club Southampton, the Spaniard said of his former protégé: "I'm really impressed with what Romeo is doing. We have an incredible opinion of him."

Indeed, Pep continued, "we thought to keep him, but we didn’t have enough minutes for him that he could get at Southampton."

READ: What is Man City’s biggest loss of all time?

"It’s a great experience to play in the Premier League at this early age," the City manager concluded, "it’s so important."