Man City boss Pep Guardiola hints at triggering buy-back clause of ‘exceptional’ starlet

Pep Guardiola has hinted Manchester City could trigger their buy-back clause for Romeo Lavia following the young Belgian’s impressive debut Premier League season with Southampton. The 19-year-old talent moved to St Mary’s last summer for £10.5million in a deal that could yet rise to £14m with add-ons.

Lavia was rated highly by City but Guardiola has confessed he simply couldn’t offer the player the game time he desires to continue his development.

And now with Southampton cemented to the foot of the Premier League table, Guardiola has indicated that the champions could seek to capitalise on the buy-back option they inserted into the deal.

“I’m really impressed with what Romeo [Lavia] has done [at Southampton], and is doing. We have an incredible opinion of him,” Guardiola said ahead of the trip to Southampton.

“We thought to keep him, but thought we couldn’t give him enough minutes like he has at Southampton.”

Incredibly, Chelsea launched a mega-money £50m bid to sign Lavia on transfer deadline day last summer just weeks after he completed his move to the South Coast.

Southampton rejected the approach, however and Lavia has since been a staple in their side this season under Ralph Hasenhuttl, Nathan Jones and Ruben Selles.

The Saints are currently bottom of the Premier League table, four points adrift of safety and winless in their last four Premier League matches.

City travel to St Mary’s looking to move within five points of league leaders Arsenal and off the back of an impressive 4-1 win over Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium last weekend.