Liverpool are interested in signing Kai Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen, according to reports from Kicker, but the Reds are likely to wait until the summer to make their move.
Havertz, 20, has been with Leverkusen since singing for their youth side in 2010 and is one of German football’s hottest prospects, who can operate either as a centre attacking midfielder or on the right side of midfield. He would add depth to Liverpool’s squad and has the potential to challenge for Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah’s positions.
The History and Statistics
Havertz became the youngest ever Bundesliga debutant for Bayer Leverkusen at 17 years old when he was introduced as a substitute against Werder Bremen during the 2016-17 season. In his debut campaign, the German made 24 appearances, scoring on four occasions and registering five assists, immediately alerting Europe to the presence of a teenager with immense potential.
Following up a spectacular first season, Havertz provided eight assists in the German top flight for 2017/18, leaving him tied fifth in the assist table for the season. To go with the abundance of assists he’s provided, Havertz also scored three league goals to help Leverkusen qualify for the Europa League.
During that campaign he also became the youngest player in the history of the Bundesliga to reach 50 appearances; beating the record previously held by Timo Werner. It shows that even at such a young age, the player has a little bit of experience to go along with his talent.
The 2018/19 season was Havertz’s breakthrough, as the German dramatically increased his ability to find the back of the net ending the season as the joint third-highest scorer in the Bundesliga, level with Luka Jovic who earnt himself a move to Real Madrid. The Leverkusen midfielder averaged a goal every other game finishing on 17 in the league and three assists. As well as some exceptional domestic performances Havertz both scored and assisted three times in six Europa League encounters.
The Prospects
Off the back of a sensational domestic campaign, it is easy to see why some of Europe’s top clubs would covet Havertz, and at just 20-years-old he still has time to develop into a genuinely world-class talent. He has now made seven appearances for Germany, and Joachim Low described the youngster as seeming like a “veteran”.
If Liverpool are prepared to put forward what would likely be a club-record fee, as Havertz is rated at £81m (Transfermarkt), then there is no reason he couldn’t be a success at Anfield. If the player is also keen on the move as Kicker suggest, Jurgen Klopp would represent a manager capable of integrating the German into the Premier League.
Havertz would boost the number of goals Liverpool provide from midfield, as well as delivering another creative influence. His presence in the squad would also create more competition for places and allow for further rotation of the front three of Salah, Firmino and Sadio Mane, who currently are all but guaranteed to start when they are available.
The only sticking point in this deal could be the price, but Liverpool have shown in the past that when they identify a player who will improve their squad, such as Alisson and Virgil Van Dijk, they don’t hesitate to make their move.
