Kai Havertz joins Chelsea in club-record transfer

Kai Havertz has joined Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen in a club-record deal worth as much as £89m, with the Germany international signing a five-year contract at Stamford Bridge.

The highly-rated 21-year-old becomes the sixth new acquisition of the summer, with the Blues making up for last year’s transfer ban by being the most active club in the market.

After being left on the bench during Germany’s 1-1 draw with Spain on Thursday night, Havertz travelled to London to complete the final details on the biggest transfer of the summer so far, committing himself to the south-west London outfit until the 2025.

“I am very happy and proud to be here,” he told the club’s official website. “For me it is a dream come true to play in a big club like Chelsea and I can’t wait to meet all the players and the trainers. I am very happy to be here!”

Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia added: “Kai is one of the best players of his age in world football, so we are very happy that his future lies at Chelsea.

“He has proven pedigree in one of the best leagues in Europe, he plays for the German national side and he is an exciting, dynamic talent.

“We are delighted to be able to add his versatility and quality to the squad before the season begins.”

The Germany international follows compatriot Timo Werner in swapping the Bundesliga for the Premier League side, and joins fellow new signings Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell, Malang Sarr and Thiago Silva in what will be a new-look squad this season under Frank Lampard.

Havertz has caught the eye of Europe’s major clubs in recent years, with intense interest coming from German champions Bayern Munich.

But a move to the Allianz Arena never materialised, and it opened the door for Chelsea to seal the biggest financial deal in their history, with his £89m valuation eclipsing the £71.2m paid to Athletic Bilbao for goalkeeper Kepa Arrizbalaga in 2018.

Havertz’s arrival sends Chelsea’s spending this summer beyond the £200m barrier – the first club in Europe to do so this year – as they look to bridge the gap that emerged last season between the top-two Liverpool and Manchester and the rest of the chasing pack.

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