Chelsea’s Romeo Lavia has been backed to compete for the Ballon d’Or.

That is the opinion of Hein Vanhaezebrouck, with the former Gent manager declaring the midfielder a “phenomenon” following the international break.

Lavia, 22, has forced his way into the Belgium setup, following in the footsteps of legendary players before him in what was the country’s ‘golden generation’.

The former Manchester City and Southampton man featured in all four of his side’s Nations League fixtures in the recent window, having started the first four games of Xabi Alonso’s tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The Belgian notched his first goal for the club in the topsy-turvy 4-3 win over Brighton and Hove Albion in their second game of the campaign, playing ahead of Enzo Fernandez, who was in the process of forcing through a move to Man City.

Lavia was signed from Southampton in 2023 for an initial £53million, penning a seven-year deal in west London.

While his injury problems have hampered the first few years of his Chelsea career, Vanhaezebrouck compared the young star to a previous winner of the Golden Ball.

“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.

“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?”

Vanhaezebrouck, who has managed all the top clubs in Belgium, believes that the Blues could well have a future Ballon d’Or winner on their hands.

“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 manangers Domenico] Tedesco and [Rudi] Garcia didn’t have.”