Kai Havertz: Do Chelsea need him?
A world-class player in the making, today we look at why Kai Havertz is esteemed at such high regard, and do Chelsea require him for the upcoming season?
Kai Havertz
Profile:
A left-footed versatile player who predominately plays as attacking midfielder but could also play in a deep-lying forward role and an inverted winger. Only 20 years of age and will keep improving with experiences ahead. He is one of the most crucial players for Bayer Leverkusen. Amazing performances by him have certainly alarmed many clubs around the world to enquire about his services.
Currently this season, he has bagged 6 goals and 5 assists in 22 matches. He has had 1.6 shots per game and combines for 2.3 dribbles per game. The only part about his game that is criticized is the amount of time he is dispossessed during the game. He has been him dispossessed 2.8 times per game this season but that shall improve with growth in maturity. The thing about Havertz which impresses everyone is his aerial strength. Even with some parts still raw, there is no doubt that this guy is going right to the top. With his name popping up, every fan would want their club to sign him but does Chelsea really need him?
The argument against getting him by most of the people is the number of midfielders Chelsea have. Its the only position in the Chelsea team that has the quality to compete with the best in the world. Some people fear he’ll block Mount’s progress. Whereas other people believe Coutinho would be a better deal for Chelsea than Havertz. Let’s dwell into it in more depth:
Havertz vs Mount Statistically:
Mason Mount
Mount has had 6 goals and 4 assists this season in 25 appearances. In goals Contribution, he and Havertz are very similar. Havertz has managed 11 goal contribution in 22 games. Kai Havertz averages 2.3 key passes per game in comparison to Mount’s 1.5 key passes per game. His dribbling is massively underrated and he has a lethal foot. Havertz averages 2.3 dribbles per game that is much higher than Mount’s 1.2 dribbles per game. Some of the Havertz work in final words is truly appreciable. He has scored some very beautiful goals this season.
On his advantage to Havertz, Mount is defensively more efficient than Havertz with averaging 1.1 tackles per game, 0.4 interceptions per game in comparison to Havertz 0.6 tackles per game, and 0.1 interceptions per game. Mount does a lot of defensive work for Chelsea. His pressing is crucial to Chelsea’s attacks and balance.
Aerially Havertz is a very lethal player and way above Mount in this category. This is why he is also used in defending corners for the same reason. He has won 1.5 Aerial wins per game which is massive in comparison to Mounts’s aerial wins per game which is 0.3 per game. He will be a big help to defend corners and also be threatening in the final third. His crossing in the final third is mostly accurate and will surely contribute more to Chelsea offensively as compared to Mount.
Havertz vs Coutinho Statistically:
Coutinho
Coutinho on the other hand has 8 goals and 6 assists in 15 matches that is way above Kai Havertz’s contribution of 6 goals and 5 assists in 25 matches in the same league. But creatively Havertz has done much better than Coutinho with averaging 2.3 key passes per game and 2.3 dribbles per game which is more in Coutinho’s comparison who boasts 1.4 key passes per game and 1.5 dribbles per game. With only 20, Havertz is only going to make his results in the final third better. So that creates doubt for Chelsea whether to invest heavily one time in Havertz or save money by getting Coutinho on loan for the time being.
Dilemma:
Chelsea’s dilemma has been about goal contribution from the midfield. Mount has done exceedingly well for his first season in the Premier League but is still raw. His play in the final third is still criticized and lacking. Barkley is still a player who has the potential but he just hasn’t been able to perform in a consistent fashion. Ruben Loftus Cheek injury concerns hamper Chelsea from someone taking responsibility to contribute to goals from the midfield. Having young wingers in Pulisic and Hudson Odoi doesn’t help to transfer goal burdens away from midfield. Tammy Abraham is still developing and has done more than what was expected of him. With Ziyech still arriving and will require time to adapt, so from where are the goals going to come from, and will Havertz solve that?
My Opinion:
Havertz is better offensively than all the Chelsea midfield especially in the creative sense. No doubt he will embark to be a world-class player in the future. But presently in my thinking, he is not what Chelsea needs.
With the arrival of Ziyech, Chelsea not only has a left-footer but also a player who is amazing in a creative sense. With Chelsea already having lots of raw talents, do they need another youngster for a high price? Presently all funds must be put into defensive problems that have hampered the progress of this young Chelsea side. Havertz would need time to settle in a new League and patience has to be the virtue of every fan. But with growing competition, can Chelsea allow that? For me its a no especially with youngsters they already have.
So in my opinion instead of another young talent, Chelsea should look for a more experienced player in Coutinho. He isn’t just Premier League proven but is better in the final third than the Chelsea midfield and could also provide help on the wings. He could be a pivotal asset for Chelsea to break the teams using low block tactics. Set pieces ability is another plus point in his favor. Signing Havertz would not harm anything as he is a future star and will be world-class. But that’s not how a club functions, you can’t have everything. Coutinho for me makes much more sense on a short term deal than Havertz.
Therefore, in my opinion, Havertz should always be on the radar of Chelsea but presently they need to go for Coutinho. He will cost a lower amount and would give an instant impact on the Young Chelsea side. Chelsea should just not sign players for the sake of it but on the basis of their suitability to a team. See Liverpool’s example in recent years of buying with a system. So with the above points, in my opinion Havertz would just not suit Chelsea’s current need.
Source: Ballabol
