Chelsea attacker Kai Havertz has been tipped to become one of the best players in the world by journalist Dean Jones.
What has Jones said about Havertz?
Romelu Lukaku has recently been linked with a return to Chelsea, although it has been claimed that the Blues have had a €100m (£85.4m) offer turned down by Inter Milan for the 28-year-old.
When discussing the possibility of Lukaku taking Havertz's place if he does move to Stamford Bridge, Jones stated that he thought the pair could actually play well together, rather than fighting for the same spot in the side.
Jones told The Football Terrace: “Havertz is a totally, totally different footballer to Lukaku and he’s 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’ll 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.”
To hear everything that Jones said on Lukaku, watch the video below...
Would he complement Lukaku at Chelsea?
It is hard to disagree with Jones' assessment that Lukaku and Havertz could form an excellent partnership if they do get to play together.
Lukaku's link-up play was exceptional last season as he racked up 10 assists in the league for Inter. Havertz is known for dropping into pockets of space, and he could really benefit from Lukaku's ability to hold up the ball and bring others into play.
What were Havertz's stats in 2020/21?
The 22-year-old started last term slowly, registering just two league goal involvements before the turn of the year.
However, his form picked up in 2021 as he scored and provided an assist against Crystal Palace in April, and then followed that up by bagging a brace at home to Fulham.
He ended the campaign with four goals and five assists in the top-flight.
Could he realistically challenge for the Ballon d'Or in the future?
Having registered nine goal contributions in his maiden campaign in England, it is fair to say that Havertz is still some way off producing the numbers that will get him into contention for the Ballon d'Or in the future.
Still, he began to show his class in the latter stages of the season, and he capped off the year by netting the winning goal in the Champions League final against Manchester City.
If he can continue to deliver iconic moments like this, he could begin to challenge for major individual honours moving forwards.