The recruitment at Chelsea over the last year has been interesting to say the least.
It’s been similar to that of unleashing a 12-year-old with £300m on FIFA as opposed to a pragmatic approach a real-life football club needs.
As a result of that excessive spending, it could leave Chelsea on the back foot when it comes to improving the bloated squad with players likely to leave to ensure better balance.
One of the players touted for a move away is Kai Havertz, scorer of that goal in the Champions League Final in 2021.
The hero of 2021 has been linked with Arsenal and Bayern Munich and could be one of several departures this summer, with N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Conor Gallagher and Hakim Ziyech all potentially leaving Stamford Bridge.
However, allowing one of their key players to leave could prove to be a shrewd decision as Mauricio Pochettino looks to mould a team capable of pushing for the top four, and he’s why.
Why selling Havertz would be the right decision
The German international simply hasn’t been good enough as a central figure in the forward line for Chelsea over the years.
His goal against Manchester City in the Champions League final remains his crowning glory but other than that, it’s difficult to think of much success elsewhere during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Soccer Football – Premier League – Chelsea v Wolverhampton Wanderers – Stamford Bridge, London, Britain – October 8, 2022 Chelsea’s Kai Havertz celebrates scoring their first goal Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Importantly for Pochettino, it’s likely he will be after a number nine in the traditional sense to deploy his aggressive counter-press and whilst Havertz was used extensively in a similar system under Tuchel, Havertz’ record in front of goal will be the deciding factor.
Looking at Spurs as a key example, Harry Kane and Son Heung-min thrived as a duo, with Lucas Moura playing a key role as well. Kane would drop deep which allowed Son and Moura to exploit space in behind which is where Mykhailo Mudryk, Raheem Sterling, David Fofana and Noni Madueke could all benefit.
If selling Havertz could potentially allow Chelsea to recruit a prolific number nine who can get the best out of fast, clinical players around, then it’s a move that makes perfect sense.
