Two of the most prolific talents coming out of Germany right now are Timo Werner and Kai Havertz. While the former has already made a deal with Chelsea, the latter is still up for grabs and as per reports, Havertz could be heading to Spain come this summer.
According to German publication Bild (as cited by Goal), Real Madrid have made a bid of €80 million for the German star as the Madrid side are looking to bolster their team. However, Leverkusen are looking to get €100 million for their star forward. The German player is also a target for Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
The strengths of Havertz
Although the Bayer Leverkusen man is a prolific goalscorer, he has many other facets to his game. He plays mainly as an attacking midfielder, though at times he has been asked to ply his trade on the left side of a 4-3-3 formation. His goal-scoring ability may make someone consider him as a second striker, and the 20-year-old is extremely adept at finding little pockets of spaces inside the opposition half.
The German is given adequate freedom to move the length of the pitch, and he can get ahead of the defenders with his intelligent movement both on and off the ball. Havertz’s agility is what has made him such a dangerous player for his rivals, and he exploits any lapse in the defence of the opposition expertly. Moving into the free space to receive the ball and making an incisive pass to the forward has become his trademark in a Bayer Leverkusen shirt. This would be the right time to point out that Havertz has made 2.1 key passes per match this season in the Bundesliga.
It is also pertinent to mention here that he can operate in the flanks and dribble past the defenders, which makes him such a dangerous player in 1v1 situations. This term, the 20-year-old also boasts of a figure of 2 dribbles per game, and in Spain, this figure should further improve.
Now to state the obvious, Havertz has a natural talent of scoring goals and this season he has found the back of the net 16 times in all competitions. In his four year stint with the senior side of the club, he has taken his total goal tally to 43 in 143 matches. One can only imagine the number of times his name would feature on the score-sheet if he plays for a better team with more accomplished players as his teammates.
What would be his role at Real Madrid?
A player like Havertz would always be a coup for any team, and even Zidane would need a man like him for his side. However, the uncertain future of Gareth Bale makes matters more complicated for Los Blancos who urgently need a partner for Hazard on the right side. Havertz could undoubtedly fill up that position in the Madrid side and given his track record; he would be an excellent choice to do so.
However, the French manager may also decide to operate the youngster at the centre-forward position and make up for the goals that should ideally have come from Jovic and Benzema. Either way, Kai Havertz is a future star in the making, exactly the kind of players that have glittered in the Real Madrid squad throughout history and this transfer looks like a match made in heaven.
Stats from Whoscored.
