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In 2020, German attacker Kai Havertz was one of the most sought-after players in the entire soccer world.
The 21-year-old was already a star at Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen and many believed he was set for surefire superstar.
That’s why Chelsea FC, entering their second season under manager and former club legend, opted to spend nearly £76 million to bring him to London and the Premier League.
There’s just one small problem.
It turns out that Havertz just might not be all that good at any one particularly thing.
Havertz notched 36 goals and 25 assists in just 118 league matches at Leverkusen playing a number of positions. But he struggled to adjust to the speed of the game in England and couldn’t quite find his positional fit. Lampard was fired mid-way through the season and German manager Thomas Tuchel took over.
Tuchel was tasked with righting a Chelsea side with a leaky defense and figuring out the best fit for their new star attacker. He was able to do the first part, leading the Blues to an improbably UEFA Champions League victory. Havertz even scored the deciding goal in a 1-0 victory over English rival Manchester City in the final.
But Havertz still just never seemed to get going consistently in a blue sure. Tuchel was later fired shortly into the 2022-23 season. And his replacement, Graham Potter, didn’t even make it to the end of the season.
Now Havertz, who has just 28 goal contributions (goals + assists) in 91 league matches, will have to impress new manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Though he may not even get the chance.
Real Madrid Could Hand Chelsea A Kai Havertz Life Line
Fabrizio Romano, the world’s foremost soccer transfer expert, reports that Spanish giants Real Madrid are interested in Havertz.
Real Madrid have concrete interest in Kai Havertz. He’s one of the players in the list, really appreciated by Ancelotti. 🚨⚪️ #RealMadrid
Understand Chelsea are open to discuss Havertz exit but they want important fee, no way for loan & similar.
🎥 More: https://t.co/pSeY4U3CDu pic.twitter.com/jVwiLNoDVg
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 2, 2023
“(Real manager) Carlo Ancelotti really appreciates Kai Havertz,” Romano said. “(He) considers Havertz a really, really good player. He’s a big fan of him (for a) long time.”
Madrid is in need of a forward after reports that superstar striker Karim Benzema is will head to the Saudi league as a free agent.
Romano reports that Chelsea could sell Havertz, but only for the right price.
But there’s another twist.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti could well leave the club or be fired following the final game of the season on Sunday. Madrid sits second in La Liga and rival Barcelona just won the league by 11 points. Real could also fall behind crosstown rival Atletico Madrid, who is just one point behind entering the final weekend.
Havertz has struggled to find his way at Chelsea. The Blues desperately need to trim their bloated squad in the summer. If Madrid is looking to hand them a life line, they’d be silly not to reach out and grab it.