A View From The Bridge

“I always need a bit of time”- Kai Havertz opens up on adjusting at Chelsea after £75.8 Bayer Leverkusen transfer

Kai Havertz opens up about issues at Chelsea after the transfer from Leverkusen

The current Arsenal star, Kai Havertz opens up about his struggling time at Chelsea after joining the Blues from Bayer Leverkusen in 2020. Prior to his tenure at Chelsea, Havertz, was a key member of Leverkusen’s senior team, which led to the Blues’ attention towards him.

An example of his brilliant showcase of consistency for the German club is his scoring 18 goals and providing nine assists in his 45 appearances during the 2019–20 season. This raised Chelsea’s expectations of the attacking midfielder during his £75.8 million transfer from Leverkusen.

However, it was tough for the German international to live up to those expectations, as he struggled to adapt for quite some time. Havertz had just nine goals and six assists in 45 appearances during his debut season for the Blues.

It’s not like he did not have enough time to adapt; he was at Chelsea for a three-year period and he never lived up to the expectations and the previous form he had while at Leverkusen. After the 2022–23 campaign, the German decided not to exceed his Chelsea contract and made a move to Arsenal for a £65 million fee.

Speaking to German outlet Welt Am Sonntag (h/t Football London), Havertz expressed his opinion on his Chelsea struggles. He said:

“I’m a person who needs time when I get into a new environment. I’m shy at first, a bit reserved, and not someone who comes out of my shell straight away. I always need a bit of time at the beginning and have to warm up to people – that was also the case after my move from [Bayer] Leverkusen to Chelsea. Once that happens, everything falls into place.”

Chelsea has always been a bit impatient with getting results. Since their high-expectations signing did not bring out the best in him immediately, they sacked him after three years of his tenure at the Blues. This move turned out to be fortunate for the Gunners, though.

Adjustment at a club like Chelsea is not a piece of cake

For Arsenal, Havertz established himself as a key member in his debut season, scoring 13 goals and providing seven assists in only 37 appearances in the Premier League.

More Chelsea news

Chelsea has always been a club that is constantly going through several changes, including managerial and squad changes. For a new player to adjust immediately in such a dynamic environment, it is undoubtedly a tough thing.

While Chelsea finished sixth in the Premier League standings this season, Havertz led the Gunners to finish as the runners-up in only his debut season with them and just two points below the winner, Manchester City.

Sarthak Joshi

Recent Posts

Chelsea star backed to make Old Trafford switch; ‘fresh opportunity’ on the cards

Jadon Sancho has hit the ground running in his season-long loan at Chelsea, with the Blues eyeing a permanent deal…

4 days ago

Chelsea star to push for Stamford Bridge exit; Manchester United keen

Chelsea appear to be rediscovering their form under Enzo Maresca, aiming for a top-four finish as they currently sit third…

4 days ago

Chelsea are eager to make a massive move for Barcelona right-back

In their bid to further bolster their defense, Chelsea are aiming to make a big move for the star right-back…

6 days ago

Chelsea unwilling to sanction sale of 10-goal star to Premier League rival

Christopher Nkunku is keen to leave Chelsea in January over lack of game time in the Premier League There has…

1 week ago

Chelsea lead the race for 23-goal European star to address striking woes

Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres is on the radar of Chelsea Chelsea are riding high in the Premier League, sitting…

1 week ago

Chelsea shortlist two names as Maresca keen to strengthen one key area

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca eyeing defensive reinforcements in January Chelsea could well find themselves in the market to improve their…

1 week ago