Kai Havertz will be one of several young stars available on the summer transfer market next year, and Real Madrid are reportedly ready to pursue the Bayer Leverkusen star.
Just about every top team in Europe will have eyes on Kai Havertz next summer, as the 20-year-old burst onto the scene with an exceptional 2018-2019 campaign as one of the Bundesliga’s leading scorers. Liverpool and Bayern Munich have already been linked to Havertz, with Bayern unsurprisingly looking like the odds-on favorites.
However, Bayern have received elite play from Philippe Coutinho in his loan spell from Barcelona. It would make more sense for them to pursue a younger player like Havertz than to pay that same top dollar for Coutinho, but if they are smitten enough with the Brazilian playmaker, then that could be one less suitor for other teams to compete with.
Mundo Deportivo’s Miguel Rico reports that Real Madrid and Barcelona are among the teams interested in Havertz. Real have shown interest in Tottenham attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen, who could be purchased for 30 million euros this winter or signed for free in the summer. But Havertz is seven years younger than Eriksen, and while he’s less versatile in terms of where he can play in midfield, he is the significantly better scorer.
On paper, Barcelona may have more of an incentive to pursue Havertz, but he is such a talented player that it is wise for Real to compete with Barca and others for his signature.
However, Havertz won’t come cheap. Bayer Leverkusen should ask for a nine-figure deal from interested parties, as Havertz is only 20 and has already shown that he can produce in a top league. Furthermore, Havertz’s intelligence off the ball and technical quality are absolutely uncanny for a player of his age. He can be an immediate difference-maker, in addition to a future superstar.
Real Madrid have eyes on other young midfielders like Donny van de Beek and Bruno Fernandes, and van de Beek, in particular, could come at a price similar to Havertz’s. Between the two of them, van de Beek is a better fit for Real, but Havertz is the better player.
Any time Barcelona and Real have their eyes on the same transfer target, speculation is bound to run rampant at some point. But it’s also worth noting that neither La Liga powerhouse is seen as a favorite to land Havertz, though Barcelona could emerge as a likely landing spot if Bayern decide to go for a permanent Coutinho deal.
Kai Havertz, by the way, recently scored his first goal with Germany’s first time in a 2-2 friendly against Argentina.