Xabi Alonso has helped the Chelsea star become a “world-class player” who could one day win the Ballon d’Or, according to a veteran of the game.
Romeo Lavia has been informed that he will one day win the Ballon d’Or, provided he “stays fit”. The Chelsea midfielder has made a promising start to the season, establishing himself as a key player for the Blues and Belgium.
In the absence of Moises Caicedo, who suffered a calf injury, and Enzo Fernandez, who left the Blues to join Manchester City at the deadline, Lavia stepped up to the plate, filling the gap in the middle of the park.
Jordan Henderson is still recovering from surgery on a broken arm and Valentin Barko is still adjusting to England’s top flight, with the 22-year-old often working alongside a full-back in a double pivot, whether it’s Rice James or Malo Gusto.
Despite a couple of disappointing results, losing to Arsenal and then drawing at Hull City, Lavia impressed and earned his first Belgium call-up in over three years. During the international break, the Blues star continued his excellent form, earning the highest praise from Mark van Bommel and Zinedine Zidane.
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Lavia played in each of the four Nations League matches, starting both games against France and coming off the bench against Italy and Turkey. Belgium lost to Les Bleus at home and away, but won the other two matches.
He was particularly impressive at the Stade de France in Paris on Monday night, despite losing 4-1. Lavia provided the assist for Dodi Lukebakio, who unlocked the door after delivering a brilliantly weighted long-range pass that opened up the French backline.
In Wednesday’s edition of Flemish newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, Hein Vanhaezebrouck praised the Chelsea star. The former Anderlecht manager worked closely with Lavia at the Belgian club in the 2017/18 season.
“For me, Roméo is the man of the break, along with Lavia,” Vanhaezebrouck said, as quoted by Sport Witness. “Anyone with a Premier League subscription already knew this: Lavia is a phenomenon.
“He’s one of the best midfielders in the world when he stays fit. I wonder what Chelsea think of him playing 85 minutes twice. He’s usually substituted after 65 minutes. But whenever he plays, it’s wow.”
Lavia’s former coach compared him to a certain Barcelona superstar, saying: “It’s often said about Rodri that he dictates the tempo, never loses possession and always plays forward. Is Lavia exactly the same caliber?”
On whether the Chelsea star is at Ballon d’Or level or not, the 62-year-old specialist said: “If he stays fit, he’ll be the right player. He’s got everything: good footwork, doesn’t lose the ball, [and] low center of gravity, which means it always turns well.
“You can hang on him but he’s so strong he stays up. Assist for Lukebakio, ball [Kevin] De Bruyne against France: he’s constantly scanning too.
“He has almost 360-degree vision. With Lavia, we’re getting a world-class player who [Domenico] Tedesco et al [Rudi] Garcia wasn’t.”