Manchester United rejected Romeo Lavia as part of the Chelsea deal for Alejandro Garnacho due to concerns over his fitness | OneFootball

Chelsea offered Romeo Lavia to Manchester United as part of the deal to sign Alejandro Garnacho in the summer transfer window, according to ESPN.

However, Man United rejected the offer due to concerns over his fitness record, selling Garnacho to the Blues in a straight deal for £40 million.

The Red Devils manager Ruben Amorim wanted a new defensive midfielder at the Old Trafford club last summer, and Brighton & Hove Albion star Carlos Baleba was on their radar.

However, Man United did not pursue a deal for the Cameroon international having spent over £200m on new additions to their squad.

Chelsea were hoping to get Garnacho for less than £40m and were ready to offer Lavia as a makeweight to get the deal over the line.

The Blues manager Enzo Maresca showered praise on the Belgian midfielder back in April, insisting the 21-year-old is ‘one of the best midfielders’ when he is fit.

Lavia joined Chelsea from Southampton in 2023 after rejecting Liverpool but has hardly been fit and is set to miss at least a month with a quadriceps injury after a recent knock.

He has played 29 times for Chelsea but has missed 88 games due to his constant injuries and Man United were right to reject the chance to sign him.

The Belgian has yet to play 90 minutes for the London club, and while he has huge potential, his fitness issues have limited him.

Turning down the offer from Chelsea to sign him proved that the Red Devils are not desperate despite their need to add steel to their midfield.

It remains to be seen whether Amorim wants to bolster his options in the position in January, but Man United are reportedly eyeing Olympiacos midfielder Christos Mouzakitis.

Brighton also have the 18-year-old Greek international on their radar, and the Red Devils will be monitoring him and other targets before reaching a final decision.