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Following Bayer Leverkusen’s 4-3 win over Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, star youngster Kai Havertz was once again in the spotlight for another lackadaisical performance. Now, according to Sport1, the bosses at Bayern Munich are having doubts about the player and might choose not to sign him in the summer.
Just a year ago, Havertz’s move to Bayern seemed inevitable, but a poor showing this season has damaged his reputation as a top talent. Leverkusen have set his price at €130m, which would make him even more expensive that the likes of Joao Felix and Ousmane Dembele — youngsters who made similar big-money moves to dream clubs.
Given what happened to those two, it’s no wonder that the Bayern bosses are having doubts. Specifically, chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic, and future CEO Oliver Kahn are said to have disagreements over the player.
Hansi Flick, meanwhile, is apparently a big fan of Havertz and would welcome him into the team — but as of right now, Flick’s position as head coach for next season isn’t yet confirmed. Plus, the €130m price tag is hard for Bayern to swallow.
Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard this new — TZ rerporter Manuel Bonke said the same thing a week ago:
Koa Kai? Es sieht derzeit stark danach aus, als ob Kai #Havertz im Sommer nicht zum #FCBayern wechseln wird. Priorität hat ein Flügelstürmer, also Leroy #Sané. Dessen Verpflichtung gestaltet sich durch den Berater-Wechsel schwieriger als gedacht, ist aber freilich weiter möglich.
— Manuel Bonke (@mano_bonke) January 29, 2020
Koa Kai? At the moment, it looks a lot like Kai #Havertz will not transfer to #FCBayern in the summer. The priority is a winger, i.e. Leroy #Sane. Signing him is proving to be more difficult than expected on account of his change of agents, but is of course still possible.
In the meantime, Havertz has suitors from England and Spain. Liverpool, who are rocketing toward an unbeaten Premier League title, are said to be very interested. Havertz is also said to be a fan of Barcelona, but the current instability in the Catalan camp may prevent a move from materializing.
With Thomas Müller’s incredible resurgence and Leon Goretzka emerging as a viable option in attacking midfield, it seems very likely that Bayern Munich will choose not to sign Havertz this summer and instead spend the money on other positions that need reinforcement, especially the wings. For Havertz, staying put at Leverkusen may be the best idea. He is not yet at the level to compete at an elite club and he should avoid the path taken by Joao Felix and Ousmane Dembele, who made their big-money moves too soon.