Arsenal are willing to pay £60million for Chelsea forward Kai Havertz, though Todd Boehly is holding out for £70m, according to a report.
Chelsea are desperate to offload players this summer and there is an emphasis on getting rid of players in the final two years of their contract.
Havertz fits into that with his deal expiring in 2025, and there is a surprising amount of interest in him after a disappointing campaign.
Signed for £72m from Bayer Leverkusen in 2020, Havertz scored the winning goal in the 2021 Champions League final but has failed to do anything else of note in a Blues shirt.
Thankfully for him, the one impressive thing he has done for Chelsea was pretty f*cking massive, meaning he is pretty well-liked by a lot of the club’s fans.
The German international has failed to nail down a position at Stamford Bridge and has frequently been used as a striker, which is evidently not his strongest position.
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Real Madrid were the first to show an interest in signing Havertz this summer, though their eagerness to get a deal done appears to have died down, opening the door for Arsenal and Bayern Munich.
Against all the odds, the Gunners have emerged as a very realistic option for the 24-year-old.
David Ornstein reported on Wednesday that Mikel Arteta’s side have made an opening ‘proposal’ to Chelsea, who want at least £70m.
The Athletic correspondent said a deal is ‘highly possible’ if a ‘deal emerges that suits all parties’.
And Daily Mail journalist Sami Mokbel has provided an update on the situation, claiming that Arsenal are willing to offer as much as £60m, ‘inclusive of add-ons’, for the misfiring Chelsea player.
Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly is taking a very risky stance by insisting Havertz is worth £70m in a classic case of ‘hardball’.
The report says Arsenal are willing to offer the German more than £200,000 per week in wages with Havertz ‘keen’ to move to Chelsea’s London rivals.
Arsenal’s main focus is to complete the signing of West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, the report says.
Their pursuit of Rice is likely to have an impact on how much they can pay for Havertz, with a central defender also on Arteta’s agenda.
Chelsea are apparently willing to offer Havertz a new contract, but on reduced wages, while Arsenal are willing to meet his current demands. Well, that explains why he is open to moving.
Fabrizio Romano added on his YouTube channel that there is no chance the Gunners pay more than £70m for the 24-year-old.
Boehly’s stance is very risky considering how large Mauricio Pochettino’s first-team squad is.
The Blues need to drastically trim their playing squad, especially in forward areas. It is very clear Havertz is not a good fit and the incoming signing of Christopher Nkunku will make game time hard to come by next season.
Playing hardball over £10m seems like a very bold stance, even if Boehly is selling to a Premier League rival. Chelsea are not in a position to pick and choose who they sell to and to be so stingy over a small amount of money.
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