Chelsea’s Kai Havertz was a player that Thomas Tuchel trusted, and with the 49-year-old no longer at the helm, the former’s new narrative at Stamford Bridge makes for a fascinating insight.
What’s the word?
That is according to journalist Paul Brown, who has been speaking of his intrigue surrounding the future of the Germany playmaker under his new Blues boss Graham Potter.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Brown said: “It’s going to be really interesting to see what happens with Kai Havertz. He was 100% a Tuchel man. Tuchel hung his hat on him, played him as the main centre-forward, gave him a lot of responsibility.”
Havertz could also be a hero for Potter
There is no doubt that Havertz was a favourite during Tuchel’s reign at Chelsea, having played 74 from a total of 99 games for Chelsea under his compatriot.
When the club had difficulty in finding a reliable centre-forward, the 23-year-old was trusted to lead the line, despite no real evidence of consistent goal returns in England’s top flight.
It is no wonder as to why Tuchel opted to play the former Leverkusen star so regularly. His defensive numbers are solid in context of his position on the pitch, with his average of 19 pressures and 1.11 tackles per 90 making him a force to be reckoned with for opponents who are looking to build from the back.
That is an aspect which will surely be appreciated by Potter, who will look to get his wingers and central midfielders involved in the attack by using the centre-forward to create space in the final third.
If the 47-year-old does opt to deploy Havertz in the same vein as his predecessor, the German is creative enough to fulfil the requirements from his new boss, having averaged 2.54 shot-creating actions and 2.31 progressive passes per 90 over the past year.
There is no doubt that the 23-year-old was a favourite under Tuchel, but whether he can have that same effect on Potter remains to be seen.
