Heir to the Chelsea King: What’s next for Kai Havertz?

What next?

Given the magnitude of the occasion and the level of the opposition, Havertz’s performance against Manchester City in the Champions League final was his best one in a Chelsea shirt. It is the benchmark by which he must measure himself from now on. The Pride of London watched his individual display in the final to figure out what he did right.

We know from his Leverkusen days that Havertz is a gifted player who—as Thomas Tuchel sees it—plays somewhere between a No. 9 and a No. 10. He is tall, fast, is good with the ball in his feet, smart enough to see the right pass and creative enough to pull it off. He presses aggressively, tracks back and hassles opposition players off the ball. The youngster displayed all of those qualities in the final, in addition to his fine finishing.

Havertz was involved in three of the Blues’ four best chances of the night, including the goal. He could’ve had a couple of assists too, had Timo Werner or Christian Pulisic not messed up their chances. The youngster played as an inside right forward for 90 minutes, but with the positional freedom to attack spaces presented by the opposition defense. The goal which he scored came as a result of him running through the middle.

It was one of the best individual performances of the season, and perhaps, one of the best individual performances by a forward in a recent Champions League final. The next logical step would be to build upon that.

Playing more next term should account for some of that. As mentioned in the previous section, the German only played 47.5 percent of the team’s total minutes this term. In comparison, Mason Mount played almost 80 percent of the team’s total minutes this season—a considerable gap to make up then. Havertz was unfortunate last term with injuries and illness, but a new season should provide him with plenty of playing time if he stays fit.

Shooting more often could also help the German take his game to the next level. While shooting enough alone doesn’t guarantee goals, the youngster does pick his shots carefully. There is a marked difference between his shot map from last season to this season—once again due to his long absences and time spent in recovery. However, when he has played, Havertz has registered just 1.96 shots per 90, which is considerably lower than most of Chelsea’s attackers.

Havertz will also benefit from working on his aerial ability inside the box. The 21-year-old is average when it comes to aerial duels in the middle of the pitch, but he is vicious in the penalty box. His headed goal against Morecambe in an FA Cup win provided just a glimpse of how good he is in that aspect. More of that, please!

Furthermore, working on his link-up play will only help the German attacker. He was at his best during the Champions League final with his one and two-touch passing. Nonetheless, this is one area of his game that will improve on its own as the German develops a better understanding with his new teammates.

While he derived criticism from fans—and in some quarters of the media—Havertz did enjoy a solid campaign. There is room for improvement, there always is, but the young attacker should focus on keeping himself healthy and happy next season. Trophies, and the chance to let himself loose during televised interviews, we’re sure, will follow.