Germany international Kai Havertz believes winning titles with Chelsea 'worth more'

ByThe Editorial Team

Updated 11/11/2020 at 23:17 GMT

Germany international Kai Havertz was one of the Blues’ marquee signings during a huge summer of spending for Chelsea, but the former Bayer Leverkusen player insists he’s not feeling the pressure from his £71m (€80m) transfer. The player is currently on the sidelines having tested positive for Covid-19.

Germany international Kai Havertz says winning titles would be "worth more" at Chelsea and insists he’s not feeling the pressure from his £71 million transfer.

The attacking midfielder has made a decent start to life at Stamford Bridge, with four goals in 10 appearances in all competitions before a positive coronavirus test forced him into a period of self-isolation.

One of the most promising talents in Europe, the 21-year-old was in demand having helped guide Leverkusen to the DFB-Pokal Final and had been linked with Bayern Munich, Juventus and Real Madrid before deciding on a transfer to the Premier League.

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Speaking to Sport Bild, Havertz said it was manager Frank Lampard’s ambition which helped him decide to move to south London: “To me, it was important to have a club with a vision.

"The club is on the move. We are a young team with a lot of great players. We think aggressively.

We want to build something here and attack. This motivates me. And then, a title with Chelsea is just worth more.

“A transfer like this doesn’t happen overnight. I had to go through all options and things which are important to me. I was watching a lot of Premier League on TV anyhow and knew Chelsea really well.”

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Reflecting on the size of the transfer fee, Havertz says he has taken little notice: “Well, that’s the way the football market works. I can’t help. That’s why I don’t put any emphasis on it.

“I try to play football well. I don’t have my transfer fee in my head when I go out on to the pitch.”

A goalscoring midfielder himself, Havertz says the opportunity to work under club great Lampard was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.

“I was always impressed with his scoring threat”, said Havertz.

I found that outstanding for a midfielder. That’s what I want to measure myself against. The fact that he was so successful and at the same time so personable impresses me.

Havertz was one of a number of big name arrivals in the summer, alongside Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva, Hakim Ziyech and Edouard Mendy, but he admits the addition of international team-mate Timo Wener from RB Leipzig has helped him transition to life in the UK, on and off the pitch.

“I help Timo with good passes on the pitch and, at the beginning, he helped me with a lift to the training ground”, Havertz added.

“Sure, we do a lot of things together. This helps a lot. But we must also go our own ways to fully settle here.

“To me, the move to England is also an important step for my personal development”.

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