Heir to the Chelsea King: What’s next for Kai Havertz?
The good and the bad
Before moving ahead, we must look at who Havetz is as a player, what he did wrong last season, but, more importantly, what he did right. We believe that the best way forward for both the player and the club is through amplifying the things he got right, rather than focusing on those he didn’t.
What distinguishes Havertz is who he is as a player. The German attacker has produced modest numbers ever since his breakthrough at Bayer Leverkusen, but looking at him play is akin to watching an artist at work. The German’s effortless, almost nonchalant, approach to the game is not too dissimilar to a ballet dancer who has mastered their craft. His long strides and nimble footwork often make it seem as if the ball is not an object to be kicked around, but a part of his body.
However, people can often confuse this effortlessness as a sign of laziness. They are quick to dismiss footballers like Havertz as “luxury players”; those who barely work and thrive only when the conditions are favorable for them. That particular criticism has followed him to London, and as it happens, it could not be further from the truth.
It may not look like it, but Havertz is a hard worker. His numbers from Chelsea’s Champions League-winning campaign provide proof of the same. The German—despite playing just 788 minutes in the season—covered more ground than all of his teammates, barring N’Golo Kante and Jorginho. The youngster ran a whopping 102 kilometers (63 miles), the 10th-highest figure in the entire competition! He ran smartly too; pressing aggressively from the front, tracking runners, dropping deep to link play and running into spaces left by the defenders.
In terms of his numbers across all competitions this term, Havertz scored nine goals and provided seven assists, thereby surpassing his expected goals plus assists tally—per fbref. Despite playing just 47.5 percent of the team’s total minutes, he produced a goal contribution every other game (0.57 G+A), a tally bettered by only Olivier Giroud and Tammy Abraham. Furthermore, Havertz created plenty of big chances for himself, with an xG of 0.19 per shot, second only to Abraham. The German played as a winger, attacking midfielder, striker, central midfielder and a false nine.
The numbers reveal that for all his troubles, Chelsea’s record signing has quietly had a good season. There is room for improvement, though, for the numbers rarely reveal the full picture. For example, Havertz could benefit by working on his finishing. The German wasn’t clinical enough at times and did cost his team some valuable points; his one v. one chance against Arsenal instantly springs to mind. The youngster will definitely benefit by improving his volume too, which means doing what he does best, but more.