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Chelsea receive huge boost in bid to sign Kai Havertz

Kai Havertz played for Leverkusen in last week's DFB Cup final  - SHUTTERSTOCK
Kai Havertz played for Leverkusen in last week's DFB Cup final - SHUTTERSTOCK

Chelsea have been handed a huge boost in their bid to sign Kai Havertz after it emerged the attacking midfielder will tell Bayer Leverkusen that he wants to move this summer.

Havertz’s desire to leave Bayer this year puts Chelsea at the front of the queue of clubs to sign the 21-year-old, ahead of Real Madrid.

Real need to raise the money to make an offer for Havertz, while Bayern Munich had been interested in signing the German international next summer following their deal to sign Leroy Sane from Manchester City.

Chelsea may still face a battle over the fee with Leverkusen, with the German club wanting around £90million for Havertz and the Blues valuing him at closer to £70m. But his desire to leave in the forthcoming transfer window should strengthen Chelsea’s negotiating power.

Chelsea will also be helped by the fact they took another big step towards qualifying for next season’s Champions League with a 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace.

That result, coupled with Leicester City’s draw against Arsenal, moved Chelsea up to third place in the Premier League table with four games remaining.

Football Nerd REFERRAL (Article)
Football Nerd REFERRAL (Article)

Qualifying for the Champions League would boost head coach Frank Lampard’s transfer budget by around £50m. Leverkusen missed out on qualifying for Europe’s biggest competition.

Having already signed Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech, Lampard will need to raise funds if he is to complete all the incoming business that he wants to this summer.

Other than Havertz, Lampard has prioritised signing a new left-back. Ben Chilwell remains his top target, but Chelsea are aware that Leicester City will hold out for a fee in the region of £70m.

Lampard and Chelsea will also decide whether or not to make a move for a central defender and a goalkeeper, but both situations are likely to depend on whether anybody leaves.

Chelsea would most likely want to make space for a new defender by selling one of their current centre-backs, while the future of Kepa Arrizabalaga may well dictate whether or not Lampard can sign a new goalkeeper.