Kai Havertz: sign new deal at Chelsea or move to Real Madrid

Four forwards are leaving Real Madrid this summer. Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio, Eden Hazard and Mariano Díaz are all moving on to new pastures new after their respective spells at the Bernabéu. Madrid have started working on replacing the outgoing forwards, with Joselu (33) set to join on loan from Espanyol. Harry Kane (29) and Kai Havertz (23) are the other two players that are currently on the club’s shortlist.

Havertz’s deal at Stamford Bridge runs until 2025. The options are to offer him a contract extension now and keep him for Mauricio Pochettino’s new squad, or sell him this summer. The Champions League winner is aware of Real Madrid’s interest, and he likes the idea of playing in the Spanish capital.

The German media have been optimistic about a move going through, but, for the moment, the parties involved prefer to be cautious. The operation is still a long way off, but is being worked on and could take several weeks to complete. Chelsea are open to selling as they look to reduce the numbers of a bloated squad and Havertz would welcome a move to play with compatriots Antonio Rüdiger and Toni Kroos at Real Madrid. Los Blancos president Florentino Pérez is also a fan of the player, having seen him in action for Chelsea in the Champions League against Real Madrid.

Signed from Bayer Leverkusen

Chelsea went to great lengths to convince Bayer Leverkusen to sell their young star, paying €80m for the player who was 20 at the time. His initial gross salary in West London amounted to around €9m per season. But he could now be about to bring his time at the Premier League club to an end.