It was May of 2017 that Kai Havertz made his debut for Bayer Leverkusen in Bundesliga, but in just only 2 years, the youngster moved straight forward from the youth academy to the first squad, and at the age of only 21, he is now playing for Chelsea in England.
The price tag of 80 million euros might be an overwhelming transfer for a youngster, but Kai Havertz showed that he deserved each cents of Chelsea. He has played a total of 14 games for the English side, scored 4 goals and assisted 4 times. That was an amazing performance for a newcomer like Havertz, and it partially explained why Chelsea had to pay the amount of 80 million euro for the service of Kai Havertz.
During the last three years, the wonderkid of Germany moved from the academy of Bayern Leverkusen straight into the first team and stayed their for only two years before shifting to England. The transfer was big, but for a guy who has a strong mentality like Havertz, he perhaps has been ready for it since 2017.
Tayfyn Korkut, former coach of Havertz at Leverkusen, highly praised his mentality. Korkut did not discuss that much about the talent of Havertz, instead, he complemented the mental power of the player and described his former player as “an ice man”. Havertz has a technical left foot, a clinical shot, a smart visionary, and outstanding dribble skills. But it was his mentality that helped him convince Korkut to give him a debut with Leverkusen in 2017.
“I had preferred Kai to the other big names. In the most difficult time, I trusted a young player. But that was not down to me. It was clear. It was obvious that he was going to be a big player and he had to play. All because he gave me that feeling just one day before,” Korkut said.
via SkySports
Havertz was way too young when he made the debut for Bayer Leverkusen first team, but the mentality of the youngster is like a veteran player. At the age of 17, the consistency will be a big question mark, but for a sharp and confident prospect like Havertz, there are no “up and downs”. According to Korkut, Havertz gave him the feeling that the player could play any big game, and for sure that he is now able to do so.
Havertz himself also knew that he carried a potential to do big things. The first time he realized it was the pre-season matches with Bayer Leverkusen first team.
“I scored goals,” he says. “A lot of goals. And I realized that these players are not that much better than I am. I can play with them. That helped me a lot. It was the first moment that I realized that I could do big things.”
via ESPN
Even in the shirt of Chelsea at this moment, the 21-year-old midfielder proved that he could fulfill the key role and perform the best soccer under high pressure. Korkut said that Havertz has the mental toughness to lead him to succeed. And even if it was Bayern Munich or any big clubs of Europe, Havertz could become a key player.
Thomas Muller, the 2014 World Cup winner of Germany, said that Havertz is probably “the best player at his age”.
“Kai Havertz is an extremely good player. If not, at that age, a top talent in Europe. He has such good skills and of course we at Bayern always want to have the players with the best skills,” the 31-year-old attacker said.
via 90Min
Thomas Muller and Kai Havertz did not train together that long since the former World Cup winner was eliminated from the national squad since 2018. But when they did it together, Muller also realized the potential of the young player from Leverkusen’s academy.
When Muller was left out from the national call-up, Havertz stepped up and replaced the position of the predecessor, and until now, he keeps showing that he was the right replacement for Muller.
Although Havertz only displayed for his national side a total of 10 matches, the player has scored 2 goals and assisted 6 times, showing a great visionary of an attacking midfielder. In fact, during his time at Bayern Leverkusen, the player showcased in three different positions of the midfield and proved his tactical flexibility.
Joachim Low, the manager of the national team, confessed that Havertz did not appear to him as a young player. The youngster turned out to be so experienced and knowledgeable likewise a veteran player.
“I feel he has improved with us. He’s a very promising player who can always give us good impulses,” Low said.
via BuliNews
Coaches and veteran player spread a good words about Havertz, but the young star is modest with himself. “I’m a calm guy,” he says. “I’m not nervous. I’ve never been that. Maybe that helps me on the pitch.”
Perhaps because Kai Havertz is a calm guy on the pitch, he develops so fast in the last three years. From the youth academy of Bayer Leverkusen to Chelsea and then the national team, Havertz fast tracked to the highest level of soccer in such a short period of time.
However, it was the special thing about this youngster. He is never panic; remaining calm all the time and looking forward are what has created such a sharp and confident Kai Havertz on the pitch. The future of this young star will be shining if he keeps the modest and humble spirit with him forever.
In the end, the price tag of 80 million euros that Chelsea has paid for Bayer Leverkusen in the summer was a huge number, but it was potentially the right investment for future. The number 29 midfielder currently has become an important part of Lampard’s squad, and the Englishman now has a new favorite player besides youngsters from the academy like Mason Mount, Bill Gilmour, Fikayo Tomori, Reece James, and Tammy Abraham.