Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images
Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images
Photo by Harriet Lander - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Photo by Harriet Lander - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League
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Split image - Marco Palestra of Chelsea and Pedro Neto of Chelsea
Split image - Marco Palestra of Chelsea and Pedro Neto of Chelsea
Photo by Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Photo by Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Chelsea’s side is full of star-studded, future superstar talents. But can any win the Ballon d’Or? Well, according to a former Anderlecht manager, one Chelsea player can.
Chelsea have never had a Ballon d’Or winner while he has been at the club. Frank Lampard came close, finishing second in the rankings in 2005 behind Ronaldinho. Three winners have played for the Blues.
Ruud Gullit, Andriy Shevchenko, and George Weah all won the award either before moving to Chelsea or after it. Now, Chelsea have been told they have a future Ballon d’Or winner in their ranks: Romeo Lavia.
Romeo Lavia could win the Ballon d’Or after Belgium masterclass
Lavia produced a moment of magic on Monday, threading the eye of a needle with an assist for Benfica winger Dodi Lukebakio. Belgium lost 4-1, but Zinedine Zidane praised Lavia for his display on Monday.
The £58m signing from Man City was superb. Speaking after the match, former Gent and Anderlecht boss Hein Vanhaezebrouck told Het Nieuwsblad – as per Sport Witness – that Lavia can win the Ballon d’Or.
When asked whether the Chelsea player is of Ballon d’Or level, Vanhaezebrouck explained: “If he stays fit, he will become a player who qualifies for that. 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. The assist to Lukebakio, the ball to De Bruyne against France,” he added.
“He is constantly scanning as well. He has almost 360-degree vision. With Lavia, we are getting a world-class player that Tedesco and Garcia didn’t have,” Vanhaezebrouck continued, when discussing Lavia.
How many future Ballon d’Or winners does Chelsea have?
Lavia has enormous potential, and as stated above, if he can remain fit, he can become one of the best midfielders in the world. Whether the Chelsea ace can reach the Ballon d’Or level remains to be seen.
But most Chelsea fans would argue that the Blues have players with a better chance of the award. Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, and even Morgan Rogers surely have a chance of doing so in the next 10 years.
Estevao is a key player for his country, and has the world at his feet. All he needs is some game time, and among Chelsea’s squad, the winger probably has the best chance – and the most time – to win the award.
But if any Chelsea player is to win the award, then a Premier League title is likely required – or a title with their country. Lavia may struggle with Belgium, but Palmer, Rogers, Pedro and Estevao have a real chance.