Chelsea are seemingly on the brink of signing Romeo Lavia after the midfielder confirmed his exit from Southampton on social media.
Last summer, the Saints pulled off a deal for the Manchester City youngster, the assumption being that he would be provided with time to bed into life at St Mary's.
Instead, the 19-year-old became one of the club's most important players, making 26 starts and three substitute outings in his debut Premier League campaign.
His performances inevitably led to interest from elsewhere, while Southampton were conscious of Man City activating a buy-back clause in 2024 for less money than they could receive this summer.
The consequence of that scenario has been Chelsea and Liverpool emerging as the frontrunners for the Belgium international's signature, both clubs having had offers in excess of £55m accepted by Southampton.
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However, like in the case of Moises Caicedo, Lavia has opted to reject Liverpool in order to make the switch to Stamford Bridge, confirmation of the transfer known to be pending.
Although Chelsea are yet to officially announce their latest signing of a busy summer, Lavia has taken the decision to confirm his exit from Southampton on Instagram.
Lavia said: "Saints fans. As I say goodbye, I want to say a big thank you for everything you have given me during my time here.
"I've instantly felt the love from you all despite us not achieving our shared goals. I'll never forget the belief the club and Saints all around the world showed me and I hope I was able to repay the faith you put in me.
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"I would especially like to thank all my teammates and all staff members within the club involved closely or not for putting your arms around me since the day I walked through the Staplewood Campus and for all the daily work and help behind the scenes making me become a better person, athlete and football player. You have all played a massive part into making my integration into real professional football easier. I will be forever grateful to you.
"For those reasons, this club will always remain close to my heart. Good luck this season and I look forward to seeing the club marching back to the Premier League where it belongs very soon."
For Lavia to become eligible to face West Ham United on Sunday, Chelsea would need to register the youngster as a new signing by midday on Friday.
Nevertheless, Lavia has not played any competitive football this season and not featured in a friendly for Southampton since the back end of July, likely resulting in Mauricio Pochettino not considering him for the fixture at the London Stadium.
Darren Plant
