Kai
Havertz is closing in on a move to Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen after the
clubs agreed a package of €80m plus €20m in add-ons for the midfielder.
Chelsea, who have been in talks with their Bundesliga counterparts for
several weeks over a deal for the Germany international, concluded the
negotiations for the club-record £89m transfer on Wednesday, according to
Sky in Germany.
Havertz, who is keen to join the club as soon as possible, has not yet had a
medical with Chelsea and remains with the Germany squad for their UEFA
Nations League fixtures with Spain and Switzerland.
Chelsea's previous club-record deal was the signing of Kepa Arrizabalaga
from Athletic Bilbao for £71.6m in 2018.
Earlier this week, Leverkusen's head coach Peter Bosz said the 21-year-old
is unlikely to train for the club again as he nears a move to the Premier
League.
Havertz looks set to become Frank Lampard's seventh summer signing,
following the arrivals of Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell, Thiago
Silva, Malang Sarr and Xavier Mbuyamba.
As part of the deal, Chelsea have offered Leverkusen the chance to sign one
of their summer arrivals, Sarr, on loan for the rest for the season.
Havertz tipped to become Chelsea superstar
German football expert Raphael Honigstein says Havertz will "dominate" the
Germany national team over the next 10 years.
"He has work to do and has things to prove because he's only just turned 21,
but he's an outstanding talent, there's absolutely no doubt about that. He's
in a position where he could dominate the German national team over the next
decade, depending on his position," he told the Transfer Talk podcast.
"Will he play in the No 10 role and become the new Mesut Ozil or will he
settle a bit deeper and become the new Toni Kroos? He's got the ability to
play almost anywhere in front of the defence.
"If you look at the unique combination he has of technical ability and eye
for a pass, but also having the ability to score and create goals himself,
and his runs to be good in the air, I think the best way to sum it up is
that he's a cross between Mesut Ozil and Michael Ballack."
What makes Havertz special?
In conversation with Kai Havertz's former coach, Adam Bate traces the
player's journey from his breakthrough season to the superstar of today,
identifying the qualities that make him so special.
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