Chelsea close in on Havertz but delay decision on Kepa
Chelsea are making progress in their attempt to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz, with the two clubs now in talks over a fee, but will delay discussions regarding the future of goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga until after Saturday’s FA Cup final.
Confidence is building that Havertz (right) will move to Stamford Bridge after he expressed his desire to join Germany team-mates Timo Werner and Antonio Rudiger there, and Frank Lampard’s team qualified for the Champions League.
The 21-year-old will not be forced to play in next week’s Europa League tie against Rangers if it could jeopardise a deal.
Leverkusen turned down a bid of £82 million from Bayern Munich for Havertz last summer and now value him even higher. But the midfielder’s contract has only two years remaining and neither
Bayern nor Real Madrid will rival Chelsea for his signature this year. That leaves Chelsea in a strong negotiating position, particularly as Havertz has indicated that he wants to team up with Rudiger and Werner, who trained for the first time at Cobham yesterday.
While Lampard has been clear in his desire to sign Havertz, he also signalled that he wanted to replace Kepa by leaving him out of the team who beat Wolverhampton Wanderers in the final game of the season.
Chelsea spent £72 million, a world-record fee for a goalkeeper, to sign Kepa and there is no pros pect of them recouping anything close to that.
Chelsea must, therefore, decide whether to try to find a buyer at a reduced price or attempt to send the Spain international on a longterm loan and accept that they will have to pay a percentage of his wages.
Should Kepa remain, then Lampard will still push to sign a new goalkeeper, which means Kepa will most likely be stuck on the substitutes’ bench, with his value further decreasing next season.
The situation is a delicate one for Lampard and Chelsea, who will hold talks on Kepa’s future following the Cup final as this week will be dedicated to preparing the squad to face Arsenal at Wembley. It is unlikely Kepa will regain his place from Willy Caballero.
Chelsea will hope that Leicester City’s failure to qualify for the Champions League will improve their prospects of signing Ben Chilwell, but his club would have to drop their £80million valuation of the left-back.
Lampard will have to sell a leftback, either Marcos Alonso or Emerson Palmieri, in order to sign a replacement and will also need to offload a centre-back if he opts to bring in a new one. Chelsea are interested in West Ham United’s Declan Rice and have scouted Atletico Madrid’s Jose Gimenez.
While the departure of Pedro has now been confirmed, Lampard wants Chelsea to extend Willian’s contract past the end of this season.