Michael Ballack thinks Kai Havertz isn’t ready for Bayern Munich

It’s no secret that Bayern Munich is interested in signing Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz. The 20-year old midfielder has been linked with Bayern for the better part of the past 12 months, along with Manchester City’s Leroy Sané. The fees required to sign both players could potentially cost upwards of €200 million including transfer fees and wages, which would easily go down as a record-breaking summer window for Bayern if both moves were to materialize.

But before Bayern buys, former midfielder Michael Ballack has reservations about Havertz. Speaking to Sport1 (via Sky Sports) Ballack said that he feels Havertz is not quite ready to move to Bayern, at least not this summer:

If Bayern act in perspective and you still want to get the best German players, Havertz has to be brought in. He is an exceptional player, but one thing is also clear... Havertz still needs time. He also needs the robustness to be mentally prepared for Bayern. I also needed my time in Leverkusen back then.

As far as needing more time to develop, Ballack’s point has merit. After a sensational 2018/2019 campaign with Leverkusen, scoring 20 goals a providing 7 assist across all competitions, Havertz’s 2019/2020 campaign for Die Werkself has not been as savory. This season, he has experienced a significant drop-off, scoring only 5 goals and assisting 2. Leverkusen is, however, still in a good position to finish in the top four this season (currently 5th, just 4 points behind Borussia Mönchengladbach).

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At this point in his career, Ballack feels, Havertz needs to look at his development and ask himself whether he’d be better off staying in Leverkusen a little while longer. Also, Bayern really needs to weigh whether they have a specific role for Havertz in their future plans in light of the amount of money he would cost, especially if they also sign Sané:

Havertz must now look closely at his development. We do not need to talk about his footballing qualities because he is a top player. Bayern have to decide whether they need his role and what he is worth to them. He is sure to bring everything Bayern needs. But the possible transfer must also fit into the financial framework.

Personally, Ballack feels that Havertz would do best to stay in Leverkusen and continue his development. Adding more to his game both mentally and physically could make him a perfect fit for Bayern, eventually:

He is still in the development phase and has mistakes in his game. But that’s normal too. He is currently in good hands in Leverkusen. There he can develop his personality in peace. At Bayern you need other characteristics to assert yourself. Just being good is not enough there.

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