Chelsea star Kai Havertz has been tipped as a future Ballon d’Or winner after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are “finished battling” over the award.
That is according to football expert Dean Jones, who has made a bold prediction that Havertz will “stay at this level” over the next 10 years.
Messi and Ronaldo dominated the Ballon d’Or award from 2008 until Luka Modric’s win in 2018.
Ronaldo was tied with Messi for most Ballon d’Or wins until the Barcelona captain won his record-breaking sixth award in 2019.
France Football cancelled the 2020 edition of the Ballon d’Or due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with Robert Lewandowski tipped as the favourite to win the award at the time.
Messi is now the strong favourite to win an unprecedented seventh Ballon d’Or in 2021 after Argentina’s Copa America triumph over Brazil this summer.
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Now, Jones believes that Havertz will “come into the conversation for a Ballon d’Or” after Messi and Ronaldo’s dominance comes to an end.
Chelsea have been heavily linked with a stunning summer move for Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku.
However, Jones argued that Havertz is a “totally, totally different footballer” to Chelsea target Lukaku.
The transfer insider rated the “brilliant” combination between Havertz and Germany teammate Timo Werner at Chelsea.
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Jones told The Football Terrace: “[Kai] Havertz is a totally, totally different footballer to [Romelu] Lukaku and he is a great option, and I think that the Werner-Havertz combination is something brilliant for Chelsea.
“I personally think Havertz will come into the conversation for a Ballon d’Or once Messi and Ronaldo are finished battling for it.
“Over the next 10 years, I think you will see him stay at this level, but Havertz is nothing like Lukaku and I think he would only complement Lukaku with the way that he plays.”
Havertz, 22, arrived at Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen in September 2020 in a deal worth around £71m.
The Germany international initially struggled early in his career at the Blues, but he went on to score the winner in the Champions League final against Manchester City.
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