Should Chelsea regret keeping Bayern Munich target Kai Havertz?
James Shearman
- Updated: 27 Oct 2022 17:50 BST
- 3 min read
Kai Havertz's superb winning goal against RB Salzburg in the Champions League on Tuesday reminded Chelsea fans of his undoubted talent.
But the German's move to Stamford Bridge has been underwhelming to date, despite scoring the Champions League-winning goal around 17 months ago.
Havertz signed for The Blues in 2020, under then-manager Frank Lampard, in a £72 million deal from Bayer Leverkusen.
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He struggled in the opening weeks of the 2020-21 season, often played out of position in the centre of midfield, but the arrival of Thomas Tuchel in January saw the 23-year-old enjoy a much stronger end to the season.
Indeed, Havertz was part of the Chelsea side that reached the final of the Champions League and scored the decisive goal in a 1-0 victory over Manchester City to lift the trophy.
Big things were then expected of him in the 2021-22 season, but he failed to live up to those expectations.
Eight goals in the Premier League doubled his previous tally, but that paled in comparison to Mason Mount's 11 from a less advanced position.
And he has continued in the same vein this season, scoring just three times in 991 minutes of action in all competitions.
But goals such as the one against Salzburg, and a screamer against England on international duty in September, act as reminders that he is a world-class talent.
So the question on all of Chelsea fans' minds will be: when he is going to produce consistently?
Should Chelsea regret keeping Bayern Munich target Kai Havertz?
Bayern Munich have retained an interest in Kai Havertz for a number of years, according to multiple sources.
In fact, German journalist Christian Falk reported earlier that the Bayern hierarchy contacted Havertz's agents last summer over a potential deal.
But Chelsea have never entertained interest in the former Leverkusen star, which could be a decision the club regrets.
"Now that is just brilliant!"
Kai Havertz casually yet spectacularly whips the ball into the top corner to put Chelsea 2-1 up... 🙌#UCL pic.twitter.com/QlTsP1HhH8— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) October 25, 2022
Havertz is a talented footballer, and has plenty of time to develop, but the truth is that he has underachieved in a blue shirt.
So perhaps he should have been sold to Bayern in the summer as part of the club's rebuild under new ownership.
Instead, however, giving him a third season to find his feet in the Premier League seems fair, especially now Graham Potter is in charge.
But make no mistake about it, without a significant improvement in consistency after the World Cup, Havertz should be placed upon the transfer list at the very next opportunity.
