Kai Havertz

[Jase 43,479]

17 minutes ago, Dimitr said:

The way that is reported feels BS, although I think his desire to want to play for Real Madrid is not a secret. Was also reported elsewhere/ 

[ZAPHOD2319 4,416]

9 minutes ago, Jason said:

The way that is reported feels BS, although I think his desire to want to play for Real Madrid is not a secret. Was also reported elsewhere/ 

All that time that Kai was telling the media he wanted his transfer to Chelsea to happen quickly was just a cover for his backdoor deal to RM!!! 

He may have had an interest, but everything that he has said shows he moved on months ago. 

[Jase 43,479]

1 minute ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

All that time that Kai was telling the media he wanted his transfer to Chelsea to happen quickly was just a cover for his backdoor deal to RM!!! 

He may have had an interest, but everything that he has said shows he moved on months ago. 

Of course but that doesn't mean he won't harbor hopes of playing for them one day. Can see another Hazard situation playing out in maybe 2-3 years. 

[Jase 43,479]

Donkeys, piano playing and his 'accidental' lunch with Rudi Voller - the making of Chelsea target Kai Havertz

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/09/03/making-chelsea-target-kai-havertz-donkeys-piano-playing-accidental/

Quote

Bayer Leverkusen were plotting a way to convince a young Kai Havertz to join them, rather than any of the other interested clubs in Germany, when academy coach Slawomir Czarniecki came up with a plan. Czarniecki was due to show the Havertz family around the club, selling the Leverkusen vision and allowing Kai to watch first-team training, but he wanted one more trick up his sleeve.

Czarniecki spoke to Michael Reschke, then Leverkusen’s sporting manager, and Germany legend Rudi Völler. He told them he was planning to have lunch with the family of a player with extremely high potential, and asked them to “accidentally” arrive at the same restaurant at the same time.

“I told them to come in like it was a surprise to see us there,” Czarniecki tells Telegraph Sport. And so, just as the Havertz family were tucking into their lunch, they were suddenly faced with two of the most significant figures in German football. 

As if it was a happy coincidence, Reschke and Völler promptly explained why Leverkusen would be the perfect place for young Kai to develop. After that, how could the family say no? “What we did, it was not normal,” says Czarniecki. “This is not a normal story, not a normal process. It was special.”

This all took place in the spring of 2010, when Havertz was just 10 years old. It was a special plan because Leverkusen knew that Havertz was a special talent. “He was extraordinary compared to other players in his age group,” says Czarniecki.

A decade after choosing Leverkusen, Havertz has now picked a new destination. The Premier League awaits for the 21-year-old attacking midfielder, who is set to join Chelsea in a move worth an initial £72 million. It is one of the most exciting deals of the summer, involving perhaps the most thrilling young player in Europe. 

Since the start of 2018-19, which was his real breakout season, only three players have scored more goals in the Bundesliga:

“He is already world class,” said Simon Rolfes, the Leverkusen director of sport, in an exclusive interview with Telegraph Sport earlier this summer. “A fantastic player, a fantastic goalscorer. He controls the rhythm of our game. He has great technique, he is fast, he can score with his head and with both feet. I don’t know what else you could need.”

The size of the fee will come as no shock to those who have seen the growth of Havertz over the years, from his childhood in Mariadorf to his rise through the Leverkusen ranks as a teenager. 

In their early footballing years, most players face a few significant obstacles, or at least moments when their ability or attitude was doubted. Havertz, though, appeared destined to make it from the day he arrived at Leverkusen. Only a sudden growth spurt caused his progress to slow as he accelerated towards the first team, and even then it did not hinder him for long. “By 13 or 14 he was outstanding,” says Rolfes. “It was not a surprise he made it through.”

The journey began when Havertz learned to play in his garden with his older brother, Jan. Havertz’s grandfather also helped, throwing him balls which he would shoot back into his arms. At four, his talent was so obvious that the Alemannia Mariadorf youth team broke their own rule against accepting players younger than five.

In all competitions last season, he was directly involved in more goals than any other Bayer Leverkusen player in all competitions:
Havertz consistently played with older boys and he was just eight years old when Leverkusen first made contact with his family. In 2009 he joined Alemannia Aachen and, soon enough, he came up against Leverkusen’s youth team.

“He was already playing for the Aachen under-12 side when he was 10,” says Czarniecki. “I remember the first time I saw him play. We won 8-3 but he scored three times. It was his speed, his lightness, his technical skill.”

You would not think it now, as he stands at a towering 6ft 2in, but Havertz spent much of these early years as one of the smallest players in his team. At Leverkusen he was a late developer, physically rather than technically, and therefore did not play above his age level. It helped that his year group was particularly strong at the club, ensuring it was never too easy for a player of his technical gifts.

“The quality in training was sometimes higher than the quality of the matches,” says Czarniecki, who is now the sport coordinator for Leverkusen’s academy. “He developed because he was playing with some of the best players in his age group every day. He had to train every day at a high level. Kai was a special player because he always played at 100 per cent. He pushed his limits.”

For all his progress, Havertz’s family ensured he remained level-headed. His mother is a lawyer and his father is a policeman, and between them they ensured that Havertz faced no additional pressure. 

“I always told Kai that his biggest benefit, compared to other players, was his social environment,” says Czarniecki. “The other players were always analysed by their parents. But Kai, with his family, he was just a boy. At home he was not this rising star. A lot of parents destroy the careers of their children by being coaches at home, but his family kept him calm.”

Still, his sporting talent was hard to ignore. Czarniecki recalls a feedback session with Havertz when they played tennis before discussing his progress. He was taken aback by Havertz’s ability in this completely different sport. “He could have been a tennis player too,” he adds.

Only Thomas Muller created more chances than him from open play in the Bundesliga last season, and that was a pretty historic season for Muller in terms of assists (21).

A growth spurt at the age of around 15 was, in Havertz’s words, “pretty dramatic”. It affected his co-ordination for a while, even leading to him spending some time as a substitute. But he soon adjusted to his elongated limbs and, at the age of just 17 years and 126 days, he became the youngest player to ever feature for Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.

“When he started training with the first team he adapted so quickly to the different speed of the game,” says Rolfes. “Then you could see he had a lot of potential. Not only to be a really good player on a national level, but to be an international top star.”

It speaks volumes of Havertz’s grounded nature, and the guidance provided by his family, that he continued to pursue his academic qualifications. Studying for exams while managing the stresses of playing in the Bundesliga was rarely straightforward, but Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt insisted he did not give up. Havertz even missed a Champions League game against Atletico Madrid because he had to prepare for tests.

“Many of my classmates were die-hard Bayer fans,” he told German sports website Spox in 2018. “A couple of times I sat in class and a teacher came to ask me if I could go to her class because the children would be very happy about it.”

Away from the field, Havertz is no extrovert. He plays the piano, which helps him to switch off, and has a passion for donkeys. He has said that, when he was a child, he and his family rescued a donkey from being sent to a slaughterhouse. “For me it always feels great being able to run alongside a donkey who you know would have died without your help,” he said in an interview with the Leverkusen website. “In the next few years, animal protection will be a big issue for me.”

An elegant playmaker with an eye for goal, Havertz the footballer has largely gone from strength to strength in his four seasons in the Leverkusen first team. Since the start of the 2016-17 season, he has scored 36 league goals and made 22 assists in the league. In December he became the youngest player to reach 100 Bundesliga appearances.

His form did dip at the start of last season, however, and he was even whistled by his own supporters at one stage. But in the second half of the campaign Havertz exploded into life, scoring 10 goals in Leverkusen’s final 13 games in all competitions. 

Chelsea’s willingness to invest this summer, coupled with the financial uncertainty facing so many of Europe’s biggest clubs, ensured that Frank Lampard’s side had the advantage in the race for his signature. It is understood that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has consistently expressed his desire for Havertz to be signed, and has personally pushed for the deal to be completed.

Despite the fee, the expectation is that Havertz will need some time to adapt to his new surroundings. He has time on his side, though, and it will be a frightening thought for Chelsea’s rivals that he will surely become even better in the coming years.

“The current generation of leading players, Messi and Ronaldo, they are finishing their careers,” says Czarniecki. “Kai is 21 and has already played four seasons for Leverkusen. We are talking about a young player who has had a great development. There are steps to take, and there will be challenges, but honestly I think he could be one of the best players in Europe.”

[Milan 17,850]

4 minutes ago, Jason said:

Of course but that doesn't mean he won't harbor hopes of playing for them one day. Can see another Hazard situation playing out in maybe 2-3 years. 

Maybe if you mention it for the 451564165461054th time, the situation will change...

Just like other members speaking about Pulisic and his injuries, you should shut the fuck up as well  

[Jase 43,479]

Just now, Milan said:

Maybe if you mention it for the 451564165461054th time, the situation will change...

Just like other members speaking about Pulisic and his injuries, you should shut the fuck up as well  

I can't. I got burned so hard from Mata leaving for Man United and I haven't emotionally recovered...

[Dimitr 488]

The goal is : keep havertz for 6-7 years and then let him go like hazard 

(29 years old )

[lucio 5,418]

9 minutes ago, Jason said:

I can't. I got burned so hard from Mata leaving for Man United and I haven't emotionally recovered...

Same , so sad he only had 2 proper seasons with us 

[Superblue 6,370]

16 minutes ago, Jason said:

Of course but that doesn't mean he won't harbor hopes of playing for them one day. Can see another Hazard situation playing out in maybe 2-3 years. 

Hopefully a bit longer than 2-3 years but I've got no problem with this. 

In order to get that move to Real Madrid, he will have to be performing at a consistently high level for us.

We get a few years quality service from him and then sell him on for almost certainly a profit seems a winning situation to me. 

I would much rather that problem than an expensive flop on our hands that we need to try to now get rid of.

[Jase 43,479]

1 minute ago, Superblue_1986 said:

Hopefully a bit longer than 2-3 years but I've got no problem with this. 

In order to get that move to Real Madrid, he will have to be performing at a consistently high level for us.

We get a few years quality service from him and then sell him on for almost certainly a profit seems a winning situation to me. 

I would much rather that problem than an expensive flop on our hands that we need to try to now get rid of.

Would be nice though if we aren't seen as some sort of stepping stone to Real Madrid or Barcelona...

[Atomiswave 6,072]

58 minutes ago, Dimitr said:

Horse shit, someone is butt hurt here.....pathetic back -hand tactics this.

[MoroccanBlue 5,281]

Where did he say he'd like to go to Real at some point?

[Valdo 583]

3 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Where did he say he'd like to go to Real at some point?

google kai havertz and real madrid and you'll find many reports from around june.

[shrenshah 186]

To think about it, feels nice that the most expensive player we have ever bought will no longer be Kepa...

[MoroccanBlue 5,281]

2 minutes ago, Valdo said:

google kai havertz and real madrid and you'll find many reports from around june.

All reports are coming off of MARCA, who suck Real off when ever they get the chance given they are a Madrid based paper. 

I wouldn't look too much into in unless Havertz himself states "its always a dream to play for Real Madrid" ala Hazard 

[Jype 6,398]

6 minutes ago, Jason said:

Would be nice though if we aren't seen as some sort of stepping stone to Real Madrid or Barcelona...

That probably depends on how the rest of the team grow too. If within 2-3 years the squad is ready to really challenge for PL & CL titles every season and he gets handsomely paid for it, why would he want to leave? There's a reason why not many players from current Manchester City and Liverpool teams get even targeted by the Spanish big two but if a team is only scrapping for top4 and winning the occasional cup trophy, a move elsewhere suddenly seems like a more tempting idea.

I'm quite sure Havertz is not joining with the idea of using the club as a stepping stone but if the 'project' that has been sold to him by Lamps & co. fails he might just start looking at better options in a few years. World class players don't usually want to waste their careers playing at teams with no chances of winning anything so it's up to the club to show proper ambition. The signings in this window are a good start to doing that.

[Pizy 18,341]

Marca is well known as a Real Madrid mouthpiece. Anything they say can be disregarded.

[Jase 43,479]

8 minutes ago, Jype said:

That probably depends on how the rest of the team grow too. If within 2-3 years the squad is ready to really challenge for PL & CL titles every season and he gets handsomely paid for it, why would he want to leave? There's a reason why not many players from current Manchester City and Liverpool teams get even targeted by the Spanish big two but if a team is only scrapping for top4 and winning the occasional cup trophy, a move elsewhere suddenly seems like a more tempting idea.

I'm quite sure Havertz is not joining with the idea of using the club as a stepping stone but if the 'project' that has been sold to him by Lamps & co. fails he might just start looking at better options in a few years. World class players don't usually want to waste their careers playing at teams with no chances of winning anything so it's up to the club to show proper ambition. The signings in this window are a good start to doing that.

As much as we boom or bust in recent years, that didn't stop Hazard from wanting to fulfill his dream of playing for Real Madrid.