Havertz perfect for Bayern but destined for Liverpool?
Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Kai Havertz has emerged as one of the brightest talents in the Bundesliga over the past few seasons.
The signs have been there all along that Havertz was set for the likes of Bayern or Liverpool after starring for Bayer’s youth teams.
He scored 18 goals for the club’s under-17 side and was awarded the silver under-17 Fritz Walter Medal, an accolade handed out by the German Football Association.
The likes of Manuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng, Joshua Kimmich and Timo Werner are among previous winners of that award.
Already in good company, Havertz was also rewarded with a slot in the first team squad for the 2016-17 campaign.
He became Bayer’s youngest-ever Bundesliga debutante at the age of 17 years and 126 days in October 2016, coming off the bench in a 2-1 loss to Werder Bremen.
Havertz made further history on February 17, 2017 when he assisted Karim Bellarabi to score the 50,000th Bundesliga goal.
His European debut came just four days later in a Champions League last-16 tie with Atletico Madrid, although he missed the return fixture as it clashed with school exams.
The playmaker continue to set records, becoming the youngest-ever goalscorer in the Bundesliga after netting in the 3-3 draw with Wolfsburg.
Bayer fans were, understandably, getting very excited by the prospect and he ended his maiden senior campaign with four goals in 28 appearances.
The 20-year-old earned further experience in 2017-18, starting 22 Bundesliga games, but he shot to prominence and began attracting interest from some of Europe’s elite in 2018-19.
Havertz, who earned his first senior cap with Germany in September 2018, scored 17 times and laid on three assists to help Bayer finish fourth last season.
He struck up a formidable partnership with compatriot Julian Brandt, who has since moved on to Borussia Dortmund, and was tipped for a big-money move.
Bayer managed to retain his services, despite reported interest from Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus, and his failure to follow Brandt out the door appeared to have a detrimental impact this season.
Some would argue Brandt’s departure led to a drop in his output, although others would suggest his antics the previous campaign were just a flash in the pan.
Havertz scored just twice this term prior to the winter break but has since stepped up his form, adding a further four in the league, while notching twice in the Europa League.
Kai Havertz has been directly involved in 4 goals in 2 #UEL games for Leverkusen this season (2 goals, 2 assists) ⚽️@kaihavertz29 | @bayer04_en pic.twitter.com/euvUVtgqul
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) March 12, 2020
A departure from the BayArena looks inevitable this summer and a deal could potentially be done prior to Euro 2020.
Bayern appears to be the perfect club to help Havertz continue his development and have a reputation for buying the brightest and best from the Bundesliga.
However, they are one of the few elite European clubs yet to throw huge amounts of cash at the transfer market.
They handed over £72million for Lucas Hernandez last summer but he is the only player to have been acquired for a fee higher than £37million.
Bayern’s hierarchy have stated on several occasions that they won’t be drawn into spending ridiculous sums and that could scupper a move for Havertz.
It’s understood that Bayer are hoping to bring in a minimum of €100million for their academy graduate.
Liverpool are seemingly next in the pecking order as Jurgen Klopp looks to continue the evolution of his squad.
With the Premier League title in the bag, Klopp will be hoping to follow in Manchester City’s footsteps over the next few seasons.
His front three is settled but they do, at times, lack creativity in the middle of the park and Havertz could solve that problem.
Klopp also has a strong record for developing youngsters and that could aid the Reds in their pursuit of the Germany international.
Either way, Havertz is certainly not going to be short of offers when the current campaign comes to an end.
