Kai Havertz arrived at Chelsea in a blaze of glory given that he was the Blues’ record signing and had been at the top of his game for Bayer Leverkusen.
The youngster hasn’t settled in west London, however, and there have already been question marks as to whether his way of playing is suitable for the rigours of the Premier League.
Former Chelsea and England coach, Glenn Hoddle, believes that Havertz needs to toughen up if he wants to become a success in the English top-flight.
“At the moment Havertz is not showing anywhere near the player he was showing in Germany,” he said to the Evening Standard in relation to a question asked on the player and his compatriot, Timo Werner.
“He is playing a bit deeper at Chelsea and I think if he starts arriving in the penalty area a bit more then we will start to see the best of him.
“He is a good player and there is more to come, but he looks like a character who needs a bit of time to settle.
“it is almost as if he just wants to be a nice player. For me, he has to be a little bit more assertive. Get himself in the box, hurt himself a little bit in the sense of his running ability to get in the box. And I think he will score goals.
“He is finding it difficult to adjust but he will get there in the end. He is still a young man and he is a good enough player to adapt to the tempo and the ferocity of the Premier League.”
Given how young the player is – just 21 – and that he’s moved to a new country and therefore a new culture, as well as trying to settle at one of the most demanding clubs in the league, he really needs to be cut a little slack.
You don’t become a bad player overnight, and if he’s allowed the time to settle by the Chelsea faithful, he will surely repay them in due course.