Chelsea are reportedly closing in on the capture of Kai Havertz, having agreed an initial €80 million fee with Bayer Leverkusen, with a further €20 million in variables.
According to Sky Sports, Chelsea have reached an agreement with Bayer Leverkusen over a deal to sign Kai Havertz in the summer transfer window. The German international is set to become the Blues’ seventh summer signing, with Die Werkself primed to receive an initial fee of €80 million plus €20 million in add-ons.
Havertz has become one of the hottest properties in the transfer market since breaking into the Bayer Leverkusen first-team setup early in the 2016/17 season. Over the last four years, the 21-year-old German midfielder has come leaps and bounds, becoming a mainstay for both club and country while also donning the captain’s armband for the Bundesliga outfit.
38 – Amongst all players currently aged 21 or younger within Europe’s top five leagues, only @KMbappe (69) has scored more goals across all competitions than @kaihavertz29 (38) since the beginning of the 2018-19 campaign. Edging. pic.twitter.com/3Yd5V6wYJl
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 3, 2020
Since making grade in the senior side, Havertz has turned out 150 times for Bayer Leverkusen, with solid returns of 46 goals and 31 assists to show for his efforts. His progress, though, has attracted a number of big-name clubs across Europe, with Chelsea taking the driver’s seat in his pursuit over the past month or so.
Chelsea’s interest was reciprocated by the player himself, with reports suggesting that Havertz was keen on joining the west Londoners. In recent weeks, the Blues seemed to have stepped up their efforts to land the German international as well, with suggestions that they had agreed a five-year contract with him.
That development had led to reports that Chelsea were soon set to sign Havertz and that indeed appears to be true. They were handed a further boost by Bayer Leverkusen manager Peter Bosz, who recently admitted that Havertz was unlikely to train with the German outfit again.
Sky Sports claim that the Premier League heavyweights have finally reached an agreement with their German counterparts over a summer move for Havertz, who will become the club’s record transfer. Chelsea have agreed an initial fee of €80 million with Bayer Leverkusen and would be entitled to pay a further €20 million in add-ons if certain requirements are met, as per the report.
Havertz, though, has not yet had his medical with Chelsea, according to Sky, although the reliable Christian Falk reported on the contrary. Nevertheless, Havertz is now set to join a potentially formidable attacking force that is already boasting of players like Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic.
His arrival would also give Frank Lampard a lot of ways to line his side up in next season. Meanwhile, Chelsea have also offered Bayer a chance to sign one of their summer signings, Malang Sarr, on loan as part of the deal, and it remains to be if that is indeed the case. For now, it looks like Havertz is on the verge of making his way to Stamford Bridge.
