Chelsea urged to 'cash in' on £58m sick note in the summer transfer window
16/04/2025 11:48
Chelsea have been urged to ‘cash in’ and sell their £58m sick note Romeo Lavia in the summer transfer window at the end of the season.
It was reported on Wednesday that the 21-year-old midfielder was back in full Chelsea training at Cobham following his latest injury setback.
Lavia, who joined the Blues from Southampton in the summer of 2023, has missed Chelsea’s last three Premier League games with a thigh problem.
The Belgian, capped once by his country, has played just 13 times for Chelsea this season across all competitions, starting nine of those games.
How many games has Romeo Lavia missed?
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Lavia has missed large chunks of the 2024-25 campaign with a hamstring issue – and only managed one game last term – meaning he’s played just 14 matches for the Blues in his 20-month spell at Stamford Bridge to date.
He is not in Chelsea’s Conference League squad, meaning he was ineligible for the recent 3-0 quarter-final first leg win over Legia Warsaw and can’t play in the second leg on Thursday night despite his return from injury.
Romeo Lavia ‘should be sold ASAP’
Chelsea fans have grown tired of Lavia’s unavailability and have told the west Londoners to offload the player in the next summer transfer window.
‘The earlier we cash in on this guy, the better for us,’ Chelsea supporter @Iam_DannyYayo posted on X in response to Lavia’s return from injury.
‘Always back in team training,’ @ReasonFE added. ‘He's never back on the pitch for more than 45 mins.’
What is a 'sick note' in football?
A ‘sick note’ in football is a player who gets consistently injured, spends long spells on the sidelines and is commonly unavailable for selection.
Former footballer Darren Anderton, who played for Tottenham and England in the 1990s and 2000s, was nicknamed ‘sick note’ for that very reason.
‘Great maybe he'll be able to train for a couple more weeks before having another setback!!!’ @FinBogasson11 said.
‘Nothing exciting about Lavia coming back,’ @OSixofficial opined. ‘We all know he is too injury prone.’
‘He should be sold ASAP,’ @OjotProwess responded.
Who could sign Romeo Lavia from Chelsea?
Speaking in January, football pundit Michael Dawson said that Lavia would be 'perfect' for Manchester City.
Lavia was previously at the Etihad from 2020 to 2022 – joining City from Anderlecht – before he was sold to Southampton.
‘Lavia's one who would have been perfect for Manchester City and the way they play with Rodri being out,’ Dawson said.
'I love what he's done, went to Southampton, brilliant. He then had numerous hamstring injuries, gone to Chelsea and struggled a bit with injuries.
'But when we see him, he is a perfect fit for Manchester City.’
