Chelsea forward Kai Havertz has played down suggestions that he could win the Ballon d'Or in the future ahead of Chelsea's weekend Premier League trip to Everton.
Havertz, 22, as well as having 19 goal contributions and counting in all competitions for the Blues this term, has already won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup since completing his £70million plus move from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2020. However in recent games, alongside the rest of the Chelsea attack, he has faltered when having opportunities to add to his ever-growing goal contributions list with the Man United draw a prime example of the development he still has in his game if he is to reach the elite level.
In that game itself, the German squandered numerous opportunities including a one-on-one opportunity that came around in the first half when N'Golo Kante's forward pass dissected the Red Devils' backline. It seemed inevitable that the false 9 would score but his tame effort was saved well by David De Gea. Not taking chances and being clinical enough was the order of the night in Old Trafford as the 22-year-old's mini goal drought stretched to its fifth game ahead of the trip to Goodison Park this Sunday.
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"I think many players can look up to the quality, attitude and career of Ronaldo," Tuchel said in his post-match press conference regarding his number 29 potentially looking up to Cristiano Ronaldo as a role model. He went on to add on the decisive edge issue for the whole team: "That is the target to which we work. It's also for them to adapt, there is still a time of adaptation to the rhythm and schedule. The schedule is ruthless for us and still, it's the moment that they have to adapt to the league, the physicality, the rhythm, the demands. The boys are still young: Mason (Mount) is still young, Timo is still young, Kai is still young.
"It will come., they will learn because they are good guys and have the right attitude. It's not always easy to arrive fully composed and with the biggest ease because we demand a lot off the counter-pressing, attacking with the first line when the opponents wants to play out. So they have a bit of credit." At 22, the sky is still the limit for Chelsea's attacking talismanic figure who has had to shoulder a lot of the responsibility for scoring goals this term due to Romelu Lukaku's deficiencies, but there is still some way in his development to go for Timo Werner's good friend to be considered alongside the likes of Karim Benzema, Mohamed Salah, Lionel Messi and Ronaldo in the Ballon d'Or debate.
And the player himself knows this as he played down an audacious question from a Chelsea fan in India who had the opportunity to ask Havertz whatever he liked. "I think I have a long road ahead but let's see what the next year is going to bring to me," he said to Premier League productions.
Chelsea fans- how many years do you think it will take for Havertz to seriously enter the Ballon d'Or conversation with the world's elite? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
