Chelsea has no easy choice of Jadon Sancho or Kai Havertz

Chelsea is increasingly being rumored to make a big signing. If it comes down to Jadon Sancho or Kai Havertz it will not be an easy choice.

The Blues want to make a big signing. The Blues are also sitting on a hefty pile of cash. And then Blues want to strengthen several positions. Altogether, that means Chelsea is gearing up to drop a ton of cash on one player and spread the rest out on others.

What that means, realistically, is Chelsea can afford one of Jadon Sancho or Kai Havertz. There is no guarantee either would be willing to come or Chelsea would be willing to pay prices so high, but most rumors point towards at least the possibility.

But how does a club pick between the Bundesliga’s two hottest young talents? How would they fit in at Chelsea and how would they affect the current squad? These are the questions Chelsea needs to consider as they make the difficult choice.

Sancho seems to be the fans favorite in part due to his own alleged fandom of the Blues. Bringing an English Chelsea fan turned superstar to the Bridge? Seems like an easy enough decision.

Sancho is also putting together an immensely impressive season at Dortmund. 20 goals and 20 assists in 39 games is basically unheard of outside of conversations involving Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. It is not as though these numbers just came out of nowhere either. Last season Sancho put up 13 goals and 19 assists in 43 games. Even if last season is more of his norm, it is still impressive.

Sancho is generally a pretty direct winger overall. He likes to take players on directly before moving towards goal. But what separates him from most direct wingers is that he knows when he has to make a pass or when he can take a shot. He has a seemingly unnatural ability to dissect a defense and, if his teammates are on the same page, that can be devastating.

Havertz is the more Avant Garde choice that has only recently risen to the spotlight. He is also more flexible positionally than Sancho, which is something Frank Lampard would very much appreciate.

Havertz’s 15 goals and eight assists in 38 games is not as impressive as Sancho’s tally, but it should be noted that the quality of the two teams is different. It could also be said that he is having a somewhat cool season comparatively as last year he had 20 goals and seven assists in 42 games. Furthermore, there seems to be a clear connection between Havertz’s good form and Peter Bosz’s tenure at the club. If one is connected to the other, that could be a red flag.

Of course, Havertz has maintained his numbers for the last two seasons in a plethora of positions. Whereas Sancho can play on either wing and pretty much stays there exclusively, Havertz can play anywhere in midfield or the forward line. Havertz is also less direct than Sancho. He is not necessarily a playmaker, but he will stay deeper and string others in more than Sancho would.

Sancho would perhaps be the more natural fit for the current squad and tactics Lampard tries to employ. While Havertz would be a fantastic addition, Sancho’s ability to be direct but also tie things together would blend well with the current squad. Hakim Ziyech’s more playmaking role is likely one that would overlap heavily with Havertz’s.

That being said, Havertz’s flexibility would be incredibly beneficial. Whereas Sancho would be primarily limited to the wing in any formation, Havertz would allow Lampard to only pick the players in the best form/training the best and plug Havertz in wherever. If Tammy Abraham cools off, Havertz can play up top. If Christian Pulisic or the other wingers are not cutting it, Havertz can slide out wide. If the midfield is just not cutting it, Havertz can become an option to create or drive from deep.

It is easy to get tunnel visioned on Sancho being the be all, end all signing of the summer for Chelsea. But Havertz would also be a fantastic (and probably slightly more affordable) option should the Blues go that route. There is no guarantee Chelsea can convince either club or player to make a deal, but if they can, Chelsea will only benefit from either player.