Romeo Lavia has been tipped to compete for the Ballon d'Or by former Gent manager Hein Vanhaezebrouck, who called the Chelsea midfielder a “phenomenon” after the international break. The 22-year-old has broken into the Belgium setup, following the country's previous 'golden generation' of players.
International and club form
Lavia played in all four of Belgium's Nations League matches in the recent window, having started the first four games under Xabi Alonso at Stamford Bridge. He scored his first goal for Chelsea in the 4-3 win over Brighton and Hove Albion in the second game of the campaign, playing ahead of Enzo Fernandez, who was finalising a move to Manchester City.
Lavia joined Chelsea from Southampton in 2023 for an initial £53 million, signing a seven-year deal in west London.
Vanhaezebrouck's praise
Despite injury problems affecting his early Chelsea career, Vanhaezebrouck compared Lavia to a previous Ballon d'Or winner. “Anyone with a Premier League subscription already knew it,” he told Het Nieuwsblad. “Lavia is a phenomenon. One of the best midfielders in the world, provided he stays fit.”
He added: “I wonder what Chelsea think of the fact that he stayed on the pitch for 85 minutes twice. Usually, he is substituted after 65 minutes. But whenever he plays, it is 'Wow'. It is often said of Rodri that he dictates the tempo, never loses possession, and always plays forward. Is Lavia of exactly the same calibre?”
Future Ballon d'Or contender
Vanhaezebrouck, who has managed top Belgian clubs, believes Chelsea could have a future Ballon d'Or winner. “If he stays fit, he will become a player who qualifies for [the Ballon d'Or shortlist]. He has it all. Good footwork, doesn't lose the ball, a low centre of gravity which means he always turns away well.”
“You can hang onto him, but he is so solid that he stays upright. He is constantly scanning as well. He has almost 360-degree vision. With Lavia, we are getting a world-class player that [former Belgium managers Domenico] Tedesco and [Rudi] Garcia didn't have.”
