Chelsea News: It didn’t start well for Chelsea’s recording signing at the club. However, Kai Havertz is expected to lead the line for Chelsea in the Champions League for the second year in a row.

The London club scored a coup when they agreed to sign Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen with £72 million in September 2020. But, if not for the coronavirus epidemic, things could have turned out quite differently.

Havertz was the best player at Leverkusen and the German scored 16 goals in the 2019/20 season in the Bundesliga. According to Goal, Real Madrid had held conversations with Bayer Leverkusen about signing Havertz. The Spanish giants received a positive response from Havertz as well.

That is until the virus spread and halted football in Europe’s top five divisions and forced clubs to put their transfer plans on hold. Chelsea, on the other hand, appeared to be immune after earning £180 million from the trades of Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata in 2019.

Chelsea News: Leverkusen’s price rise saw Real Madrid withdraw

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Leverkusen has set an £84 million asking price for Havertz in order to have a bidding battle. However, Real’s absence from negotiations pushed them to decrease their demands.

This allowed Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia to seize the opportunity. She negotiated an agreement with an initial £62 million fee. An additional £10 million in add-ons, after months of discussions.

It was a significant investment for Chelsea. A club-record transfer cost was paid for a largely inexperienced 20-year-old. However, it did not come without significant risk, as Havertz’s rookie season demonstrated.

The lanky and skinny playmaker struggled to adjust to the physical aspect of the Premier League at first. Frank Lampard struggled to utilize Havertz as well and found it difficult to adjust him.

And his situation was made worse when he signed with Covid in December 2020. Covid took Havertz out of the team. In addition to that, it also gave him a scare because he was affected by the illness more than he expected.

The former Leverkusen man eventually recovered. He found a better fit with Thomas Tuchel replacing Lampard.

Chelsea News: What did Tuchel say?

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Tuchel explained, “He covers a lot of ground and he is always full of energy. He can play in any system for us.“

‘He seeks powerful runs and that’s what makes him different. He is utilizing his physique and he enjoys creating spaces for his teammates. It’s just his playing style, his personality, and the fact that he’s in good form and confident.”

Tuchel will rely on Havertz to provide the goods after Lukaku’s recent careless cameos from the bench. Real Madrid won’t be happy if Havertz helps Chelsea to knock them out.

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