Football transfer: big-spending Chelsea signs midfielder Romeo Lavia from Southampton

Chelsea completed the signing of 19-year-old defensive midfielder Romeo Lavia from Southampton on Friday after agreeing to a reported transfer fee of 58 million pounds ($74 million).

The Belgium international signed a seven-year deal after reportedly rejecting a proposed move to Liverpool.

The spending spree at Stamford Bridge continues with Lavia arriving just days after Chelsea signed Ecuador midfielder Moises Caicedo from Brighton for a reported 115 million pounds ($146 million). Caicedo's signing took Chelsea's spending on players to $1 billion in 15 months under its new American owners.

The highly rated Lavia has played only 29 times in the Premier League.

“I'm really happy to join Chelsea and be a part of this exciting project,” Lavia said in Chelsea's announcement. “It's an amazing football club with a great history and I'm really excited to get started. I can't wait to meet all my new teammates and build a chemistry together to achieve great things together.”