Romeo Lavia Denies Ghanaian Roots, Alonso Praises Estevao’s Chelsea Impact

Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia has dismissed claims of Ghanaian roots, insisting his family background is Congolese.

Romeo Lavia addressed the speculation in an interview with UK-based Ghanaian journalist Rahman Osman following Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Manchester United.

Lavia, 22, said he had repeatedly come across social media discussions linking him to Ghana but insisted the claims were unfounded.

“I’ve seen that a lot on social media and it’s never true. I don’t have any Ghanaian heritage; I am from Congo,” he stated.

Naija News gathered that Lavia was born in Brussels, Belgium, on January 6, 2004, to Congolese parents. He began his football career at Anderlecht before joining Manchester City in 2020.

He moved to Southampton in 2022, where his impressive performances attracted interest from several European clubs. Chelsea eventually secured his services in August 2023 in a deal reportedly worth £58 million.

Romeo Lavia has represented Belgium at various youth levels and is currently in the country’s senior setup.

Meanwhile, Alonso has admitted that Estevao’s recent performance has made his team selection decisions more difficult after the Brazilian winger impressed on his first Premier League start of the season.

The 19-year-old troubled opposition defenders with his pace, direct running and creativity, creating several scoring opportunities for his teammates.

Although two of his efforts were ruled out for offside, his attacking contributions and determination to make an impression caught Alonso’s attention.

The Chelsea manager said Estevao had given him reasons to consider handing him more playing time, praising his attitude despite not always getting the opportunities he wanted.

“He’s given me reasons (to pick him),” Alonso explained.

“This is football, and sometimes you don’t get what you want, but the best way to show it is not by being hungry; it’s by being competitive, and Este has done it really well.”