Chelsea: Why Kai Havertz should not be the main transfer target

Ever since Chelsea officially announced the signing of Timo Werner, all focus has turned to potentially signing Kai Havertz.

Chelsea has already begun talks with Bayer Leverkusen and gauged Kai Havertz’s interest on coming to west London. Currently, talks have slowed down after the two clubs could not agree on the value of the 21-year-old. The Blues seem to be very interested in the young star, but the slow talks have made fans believe otherwise. Signing Havertz could cause problems going forward, but what are those problems?

Well, the first problem that would be caused is an attacking overload. The Blues already have multiple young attackers and do not need anymore. If Chelsea were to sign Havertz, it could cause one of the other wide attackers to request a move away or a loan spell. Christian Pulisic, Mason Mount and Callum Hudson-Odoi are all signed for years to come and bringing another young player into the mix would hinder the progression of one—if not all—of those players.

Frank Lampard already has a lot of trust in Mount, Pulisic and Hudson-Odoi, but Mount is the only player who has been consistently playing well. That’s not to say they won’t all continue to progress from here on out, but Pulisic and Hudson-Odoi have had their fair share of injury concerns this season. Mount’s performance this year has all but solidified himself into next season’s starting XI, but that would come into question with Havertz’s potential arrival.

Pulisic has spent a good deal of the season rehabbing, but when he did play, he impressed nearly everyone. Chelsea spent a good sum of money on Pulisic last summer, so bringing in Havertz would hinder his progress and also be seen as a waste of money. Had Pulisic been healthy the whole season, he could have produced Havertz-like stats. The future is bright for the American, so adding the German attacker to the squad would not make much sense.

Now, Lampard has put faith in Hudson-Odoi, backing him to return to his usual self after an up-and-down year. The young Englishman can still take some time to progress, as he is only 19 years old. Brining in Havertz to play in the midfield—or even right wing—would make sense, but there’s one glaring problem; Hakim Ziyech was added a few months ago for the sole purpose of filling the void at right wing and adding midfield depth. Ziyech can play both central attacking midfield, as well as wing, the same as what Havertz can do.

The Blues’ interest in the German does not make sense as they have enough wide attacking players. Though Havertz can play center attacking midfield, it is uncertain for the moment as to which formation Lampard will use next season. No one knows if Chelsea will use a formation consisting of both Timo Werner and Tammy Abraham. If a formation with those two is used, there would most likely be no place on the field where Havertz can start. He will likely transfer to a club where a place in the starting XI is guaranteed.

The next pressing issue is not spending on positions of need. Chelsea has satisfied its attacking needs with the transfers of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech. Though the Blues are looking to raise funds by selling players, it would be far more logical to spend on positions of need. Left back, centerback and the goalkeeper positions are what have been a large factor in Chelsea’s poor performances.

Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri have fallen out of Lampard’s plans and will likely move away from west London. The two have had limited appearances this season under the second-year manager and could play their last matches as a Blue in the coming weeks. In the wake of their poor performances, Cesar Azplicueta was forced to play left back once Reece James emerged. Though it has been a struggle for Azpilicueta at times, Lampard has had no other choice.

As of now, Ben Chilwell and Nicolàs Tagliafico should be Chelsea’s main priorities on the left side. Those two players are often regarded as what could be the Blues’ final piece to the success and glory puzzle. Multiple teams are in the race for Chilwell, but Chelsea has the money that Leicester City wants. They may not agree on value at the moment, but they will eventually meet if the deal benefits both sides. The Blues could go all out for Chilwell, but they have cheaper options as well.

Tagliafico is another solid option at left back for Chelsea. Instead of spending money on Havertz, they should spend it on the Ajax left back. He is a fairly cheap alternative to Chilwell, he fits in well with the Blues. Tagliafico is inexpensive, quality and has the experience in the more important competitions, like the Champions League. He would provide a good sense of leadership along with Azpilicueta. Spending on a left back would bring Chelsea more success than it would get by signing Havertz.

Havertz is not the best or the most logical signing Chelsea should make. It seems like a good thing for Chelsea and Leverkusen to not agree on his value. The money that could be spent on the 21-year-old could be spent to fill in gaps in the defense, particularly at left back, should it not be allocated to the German. Whatever Chelsea decides to do is the board’s decision, but it just is not the smartest thing to do at this moment.