Kai Havertz will tell Bayer Leverkusen he wants to leave the club this summer with Chelsea not willing to pay the player’s £89.8m asking price, according to reports.
The 21-year-old midfielder has attracted huge interest from several teams around Europe after his outstanding performances in Germany.
Chelsea and Liverpool are both reported to be interested in the youngster but the Reds are to willing to meet Bayer Leverkusen’s high valuation.
According to Bild, Chelsea are now in the lead in race to sign Kai Havertz as they are the only team who are currently in a position to meet his asking price.
However, the blues are looking to fund the transfer move by paying in instalments with €70m (£62.9m) up front plus another €30m (£26.9m) which will included in bonuses.
Havertz is believed to be interested in signing for Chelsea on the condition that they get a place in next campaign’s Champions League.
Chelsea currently sit third on the Premier League table after their 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace on Tuesday, with goals from Olivier Giroud, Christian Pulisic and Tammy Abraham.
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Bild also claim that Real Madrid are also interested in signing Havertz but the La Liga leaders cannot fund such an expensive transfer without selling players first.
But, Havertz is not willing to wait for another year and wants to leave Bayer Leverkusen this summer window.
Bayern Munich are also interested in Havertz but the Bundesliga champions have already said that they are only keen on a deal next summer having already completed the signing of Leroy Sane.
‘If an even bigger club than Leverkusen puts the money on the table that [Rudi] Voller and the Leverkusen team want for Havertz, then this summer is certain for me [Havertz will leave], because the boy understandably wants to take the next step,’ Bayern legend Lothar Matthaus told Sky Germany.
‘He [Karl-Heinz Rummenigge] knows exactly what [a deal for Havertz] would cost – and that is not possible now after the Sane transfer.
‘If Thiago and David Alaba should leave the club, Bayern would get high transfer fees and save on the salaries of both of them. Then maybe it could be enough to acquire a mega-talent.’
