Andy Townsend questions what Kai Havertz offers to Chelsea
Speaking on Talksport Radio (h/t Metro), commentator and analyst Andy Townsend does not understand what Kai Havertz brings to Chelsea in the forward line.
Havertz, who was signed for a fee of around £75.8m from Bayer Leverkusen in 2020, hasn’t been able to replicate the potential he showed in the Bundesliga before coming to west London.
The 23-year-old’s name is etched in the history books of Chelsea for scoring the winner in the 2021 Champions League final, but his overall contribution has been well below par.
Here’s what Townsend said when asked about what Havertz brings to the team (h/t Metro):
“Graham Potter is not alone here by the way, Thomas Tuchel also had issues there. He couldn’t get Timo Werner firing and trying to get the best out of Kai Havertz was difficult.
“I haven’t really seen Kai Havertz get to a point where I think, “this kid is going to be the real deal”. I just don’t quite get it, I don’t quite see it with him. So it’s not easy for Graham Potter but there’s enough personnel there to find better solutions and to have better combinations at the top of the pitch.”
The German international has got six goals and one assist in 31 appearances in all competitions this season, which is simply not good enough for a player who plays most of his games as a number nine.
He has struggled in doing the simple things right. In more than two seasons at Chelsea, we still haven’t figured out where his best position is.
There is no doubt that Havertz has the talent and potential to produce at the top level. However, something is not clicking for it to come together in a Chelsea shirt. Is it because the managers haven’t given him the best tools? Or has the player not lived up to his potential? It is difficult to answer this.
Whatever the reason is, the 23-year-old is one of the main reasons behind the Blues’ struggle in front of goal. They have scored three goals less than Erling Haaland alone in the league this season, which is kind of embarrassing considering we aim to be a club that challenges Manchester City for titles.
More Chelsea News:
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- Chelsea target Josko Gvardiol praised by Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves
- N’Golo Kante was seen training with Chelsea but his return remains uncertain
One thing is clear that Chelsea need to invest in a number nine in the summer. Whether that means shipping out Havertz or keeping him to play around the new striker, is for the management team to decide.
