From £71m wonderkid to Chelsea outcast: What happened to Kai Havertz?

James Shearman

• Updated: 28 Jun 2023 15:32 CDT
• 3 min read

Kai Havertz has left Chelsea in favour of a £65 million move to London rivals Arsenal.

The 24-year-old will always be remembered fondly for scoring the Champions League-winning goal against Manchester City in 2021.

But the truth is that he fell a long way short of Chelsea's expectations and will not be missed by most Blues fans.

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What happened to Kai Havertz?

Havertz signed for Chelsea in 2020, under then-manager Frank Lampard, for a fee of £71m.

And he arrived with lofty expectations, having been touted as one of the most promising young players in Europe in his time at Bayer Leverkusen.

Havertz had the perfect blend of visible technical ability and the consistent goal contributions to go with it.

In his last two seasons in Germany, he scored a remarkable 38 goals, setting up a further 15.

The obvious next step in his career was to test himself at an established Champions League club, while also competing in the best domestic league in the world (the Premier League).

Chelsea won the race to sign him, with Lampard said to be an important factor in his decision, and Stamford Bridge eagerly awaited the arrival of a supposedly sensational talent.

Unfortunately for all parties involved, the succeeding three seasons were majorly disappointing.

Not only did the 24-year-old fail to develop his game at the west London club, but he quite clearly declined.

Havertz played as a central midfielder, 'number 10' and, most often, striker, and was unable to produce consistently anywhere.

His previously obvious technical ability was rather inconspicuous, with a lack of confidence displayed in regular poor touches and misplaced passes.

While the goal contributions also dried up, scoring 32 times and registering 13 assists in 139 appearances in all competitions.

The same question arose every time the Germany international played: What is he actually good at?

Not Lampard, Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter or Lampard, again, could find the right answers to the Havertz problem, and Mauricio Pochettino clearly didn't think he could either.

Instead, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta believes he is the man for the job - and maybe he's right - but the odds are certainly stacked against him.