Hein Vanhaezebrouck backs Chelsea‘s Roméo Lavia to win the Ballon d’Or if he stays injury free.
The Belgium international joined Chelsea from Southampton in 2023 and has struggled with injuries until last season. He played 2,144 minutes from 48 matches and five are from this season.
Lavia has constantly dealt with injuries over the last three years, forcing him to spend more time on the sidelines.
To put it in context, he suffered 11 setbacks since arriving at Stamford Bridge, and most of them were to do with his hamstring. He missed 624 days because of injuries since joining the west London club.
The midfielder has been injury free this season and has impressed for Xabi Alonso’s side. New Belgium manager Mark van Bommel included him in his squad for September and October’s matches.
Coach impressed by Chelsea player
De Rode Duivels won two and lost two of their four UEFA Nations League matches and the 22-year-old featured in every fixture.
Last week, former Burnley midfielder Steven Defour hailed his compatriot as Belgium’s midfielder for the future. Former KAA Gent and Anderlecht manager Hein Vanhaezebrouck now join in to praise the Chelsea star.
Vanhaezebrouck was at Anderlecht during the 2017/18 season. Roméo Lavia was at their academy. Two years later, he left the Belgian club for Manchester City.
The coach analyses Belgium’s performances in the four matches for Wednesday’s print edition of Het Nieuwsblad.
Manager says Chelsea man best in the world
Hein Vanhaezebrouck says the former Southampton is one of the best midfielders as long as he stays fit.
He said: “Two players stood out. One who was also an immediate starter under Domenico Tedesco: Dodi Lukebakio. For me, he is the man of this break, along with Roméo Lavia.”
“Anyone with a Premier League subscription already knew it: Lavia is a phenomenon. One of the best midfielders in the world, provided he stays fit.”
“I wonder what Chelsea thinks 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?”
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 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.”
| Date | Career stage | Market value | Change from previous listed value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 July 2022 | Joined Southampton from Manchester City | €2 million | — |
| 18 August 2023 | Joined Chelsea from Southampton | €32 million | +€30 million (+1,500%) |
| 3 June 2026 | Chelsea – latest published valuation | €22 million | −€10 million (−31.3%) |
| Overall change: July 2022–latest valuation | +€20 million (+1,000%) | ||
Source: Transfermarkt. Selected verified milestones, not every
valuation update. Transfer-date figures show his valuation at the
time of each move, not the transfer fee.
Market values are estimates. Checked on 7 October 2026.
