Chelsea’s pursuit of Erling Haaland seems pretty much dead in the water unless the club does something crazy and fast. With most alternative targets already off the table, it might be time for Chelsea to look inward to find their own solution (at least for next season).
With goals very much needed, might the answer arrive in the player that was being groomed for playing up top, Kai Havertz?
Why could Kai Havertz be an alternative?
Kai Havertz was a highly rated player in Germany for many years, but it was not until he was moved to a “false nine” position that he really exploded. His greatest success at Bayer Leverkusen came after that switch occurred with him turning into a goal scoring and goal assisting machine.
After the switch, he would eventually split time between being the man up top and in a support role to whoever was up top, but the change itself was only good for Havertz. At Chelsea, he did play as the striker on occasion and did relatively well all things considered.
Chelsea doesn’t have a more naturally talented player than Havertz right now and perhaps his deadliest trait is his ability to find space. Being both a good passer and a good goal scorer, space is his bread and butter. Add in his size and he ticks a lot of boxes for being an ideal modern forward.
Much like Timo Werner, it should also be expected that Havertz has a much better second season than the first. Not only was he in a new league and country like his compatriot, but he also had to fight the effects of Covid much of the season. Recovered and settled, Havertz should be poised to explode and pick up where he left off at Bayer.
Why Havertz might not be an alternative?
Havertz is going to suffer from many of the same issues as Werner playing up top for different reasons. The modern game is fluid, but it is hard to get away without someone in the box as others do the build up. Werner likes to drift wide to help out; Havertz likes to roam more freely. That in of itself is not an issue if another player is willing to fill that space, but very few options for the forward positions seem willing to do that to the degree necessary. That leaves Chelsea building up wide or deep with no one there to make the fine shot on goal.
Furthermore, while Havertz did well enough playing up top, he didn’t really light up the scoring charts or look close to doing so. Some of that could be the other factors he had to deal with but if Chelsea legitimately considered him an option, they wouldn’t have been pushing so hard for a mega money striker.
Havertz, like Werner, could play up top against certain opponents but he seems better suited to playing one of the supporting roles. That allows his freedom to be more helpful rather than a hinderance and it also allows him to use his positioning to pop up late when it would be more dangerous.
As of right now, if Chelsea doesn’t make a signing, Havertz has a strong case for being the striker next season. But unless he truly picks up where he left off at Bayer Leverkusen, it may not be enough for the Blues’ goals.
Let us know what you think on Twitter and in the comments and stay tuned for the next three parts of this series!