Chelsea haven’t been serious Premier League title contenders for the past few years, but they seem determined to change that next season.
They’ve already spent big money on Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner to bolster their attack, and now it looks like they’ve won the race to sign highly touted Bayer Leverkusen star Kai Havertz.
Havertz is one of the hottest young prospects in all of Europe and would be a welcome addition to any squad. But will this latest big-money signing make Chelsea legitimate title contenders against the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City next season?
To answer that question, SBOBET takes a closer look at this potentially massive transfer for Chelsea and analyses it from all possible angles.
Kai Havertz looks like the real deal
By all accounts, Havertz is one of the most promising young players in the world. He burst onto the scene in the 2018-19 season with 17 league goals in 34 games as a 20-year-old for Bayer Leverkusen has been linked with a big-money move ever since.
The 21-year-old had quite a slow start to this campaign, but just like last year, he played his best after the winter break. He scored 10 of his 12 Bundesliga goals in 2020 and also added three goals in the Europa League.
Havertz has an amazing skill set that allows him to play virtually any attacking position on the pitch. He’s been used mostly as a No. 10 at Leverkusen, using his ability to link up play and set up his team-mates while also scoring some goals. But he can also play in a deeper midfield role or out wide if needed.
And for someone so young, Havertz has tremendous composure in front of goal. He put that to good use after the restart as he played the No. 9 role, leading the line for Leverkusen with captain Kevin Volland out injured.
With Havertz’s remarkable versatility, Chelsea could make the case that they are actually getting several players for the price of one.
Kai Havertz can add a new dimension to Chelsea’s attack
It’s a legitimate question to ask whether Chelsea really “need” a player like Havertz. They already have strong attacking options, with Ziyech and Werner joining a squad that includes promising young talents in Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Christian Pulisic, who produced several Premier League 2020 highlights post-lockdown.
But Havertz boasts the kind of quality that any club — especially one with title aspirations — would love to have. Moreover, his versatility means that he should fit into whatever system manager Frank Lampard decides to play.
Lampard did a great job with Chelsea’s attack, which scored 69 Premier League goals (third overall) in his first season with the club. He did so despite losing Eden Hazard to Real Madrid and not getting to replace him due to the transfer ban. But now, he’s set to have even more weapons at his disposal.
Havertz would be the most likely candidate to play the No. 10 role in a 4-2-3-1 formation, playing just behind Werner with Pulisic and Ziyech on either side. On paper, that attacking foursome looks every bit as good as any in the league.
But the brilliance of having someone like Havertz is that he can do so much more than an old-fashioned No. 10. He can also fit as a wide forward in a front three, or as an advanced midfielder in a midfield trio.
Havertz should open up a lot more options for Lampard in terms of formations and combinations, which could make Chelsea’s already prolific attack even more potent next season.
Kai Havertz doesn’t address Chelsea’s weak defence
But while Havertz’s arrival is likely to get Chelsea’s attack closer to Liverpool and Manchester City’s level, they still don’t figure to be legitimate title contenders as currently constructed because they have yet to address their major weaknesses in defence.
Chelsea’s Premier League 2020 odds to win the title were already low to begin with, but the fact that their defence conceded a whopping 54 goals meant they had no shot.
Aside from lacking top-class defenders, goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has had a nightmare season and was dropped in their season finale against Wolves. Chelsea are in desperate need of an upgrade at that position if they are to compete for top honours.
The big question now is whether or not Havertz’s big-money move will prevent the Blues from addressing their glaring weaknesses.
If Chelsea still have the cash to bring in at least one elite centre-back as well as a replacement for Kepa even after signing Havertz, then the Blues could very well contend.
But if it turns out that Havertz’s arrival comes at the expense of solving those more pressing problems in defence, then this acquisition will look much more like a misstep on the club’s part.
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