Chelsea have been reminded by Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller that they must meet their demands for Kai Havertz if they wish to sign him this summer as there won’t be any discounts.
The 21-year-old has emerged as one of the top players in the Bundesliga, and he has enjoyed another fine season this year with 17 goals and nine assists in 44 appearances.
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Speculation has been rife over his future this summer though, with Chelsea heavily linked with swooping for him as Frank Lampard continues to build a top-class squad.
However, it won’t be cheap even with the coronavirus pandemic in mind and the economic impact it has had, with Voller insisting that their demands won’t change and The Sun note that means Chelsea will have to put £90m on the table.
“It won’t be easy, but for an artist like him there is no Covid discount.
“No, but with his talent, it means he’s on the list of all the best clubs.
“We know of the interest of a couple of clubs, especially Chelsea, but for us, the situation is quite simple; he has a two-year contract, if anyone wants him on our terms, fine, otherwise he stays here another year and we are happy.”
Having already wrapped up deals for Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, adding Havertz would make Chelsea an increasingly dangerous side next season and beyond, with Lampard looking to significantly bolster his squad.
After their transfer ban last summer followed by a quiet January window, he could now be backed having secured Champions League football for next season and Havertz would be a huge coup to go with the reinforcements that have already arrived to add more attacking quality to his squad.