Chelsea’s German-international Kai Havertz is “on borrowed time” following his poor start to this year’s campaign.
What’s the word?
That is according to journalist Simon Phillips, via GIVEMESPORT, who has raised questions around the 23-year-old after several below-par performances.
Phillips believes that Cobham graduate Armando Broja is in line to take Havertz’s place in the starting XI, which could spell the end for the German, with Broja producing some promising displays from the substitutes bench.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Phillips said: “I think right now, the form that Kai Havertz is in, I think he’s on borrowed time.
“He’s not playing very well, and every time Armando Broja comes on, he plays very well and really stakes a claim, and I don’t think that can continue.”
Borrowed time
Having managed just one goal in eight appearances for Chelsea this season, Havertz has struggled for chances in front of goal.
Though, it is not strictly his fault.
The 23-year-old is victim to Chelsea’s chance creation crisis, which will surely improve under xG extraordinaire Graham Potter, having overachieved in this metric in back-to-back seasons at former club Brighton.
With just eight big chances created in six Premier League games this season, the Blues have most certainly underachieved and have consequently found goals hard to come by in the season so far.
In comparison, Potter’s former side Brighton, who he left in fourth place, racked up 12 big chances under his guidance and also boast a greater expected goals tally of 10.9 xG, compared to Chelsea’s measly expected goals total of around 7.8 xG that was sustained under the final few games under the tenure of Thomas Tuchel.
Despite Broja’s energetic displays, the starlet has failed to get his name on the scoresheet in the 70 minutes that he has been afforded thus far and tops the charts for big chances missed in the early stages of the Premier League season, having missed two big chances.
In comparison, Havertz has missed one big chance.
At this point, whilst Potter will have taken note of the 23-year-old’s lacklustre numbers this season, it is too early to call the Havertz-Chelsea partnership a day, with the new boss sure to get all first-team regulars firing on all cylinders over the coming weeks.
