Chelsea are “the next logical step” for Kai Havertz but moves to La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona will still appeal to the highly-rated playmaker in the future, says former Bayer Leverkusen coach Wolfgang Holzhauser.
After much speculation regarding his next career call, the talented 21-year-old has decided to form part of an elaborate freshening up of the ranks at Stamford Bridge.
Frank Lampard has splashed out £70 million ($91m) on another Germany international, with Havertz expected to thrive in new surroundings despite being a Premier League rookie.
Holzhauser, who was in charge of Leverkusen when they brought the promising youngster onto their books in 2010, told Goal and SPOX: “I would have preferred to see him at a team which plays more ‘Pep Guardiola football’, a team which is more known for huge ball possession. That is his game.
“But because of the signings Chelsea have made in this transfer window, I expect manager Frank Lampard to put more value on ball possession in the future than he and the other Chelsea managers did in recent years. That's why I am confident that Kai will quickly adapt and be successful there. He has unique skills for his age. That move can't go wrong.”
Holzhauser believes Havertz has made the right decision at this stage of his development, with there little point in him waiting around for Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich to make a move.
“One year would not have been enough,” added Holzhauser.
“Considering the current shape of Thomas Muller, a spot in attacking midfield would probably only become available in two or three years.
“I always say it is much more difficult to succeed in a top team like Bayern than in a team like Chelsea, which wants to become a top team and fill positions that were not so well filled before.
“Apart from that, it always hurts to lose a player to a direct competitor from the same league. So it was certainly also in Bayer Leverkusen's interest to transfer Kai Havertz abroad.”
It was suggested that Real and Barca were sniffing around Havertz, having monitored his progress for several years, and Holzhauser believes a switch to Spain could still happen at some stage.
He said of Clasico foes: “They cannot make big signings due to the corona crisis.
“I also fully understand that Leverkusen chiefs Fernando Carro and Rudi Voller never backed away from their demands. 80 million euros is of course a lot of money, but compared to other transfers it is more than justified.
“And it does not mean that clubs like Real and Barca will not be of interest to Kai Havertz in the future. He is only 21 years old. For now, it was important for Havertz to take the next logical step in his development after three years as a regular in Leverkusen.”
Having shown himself to be one of the hottest prospects in world football, Holzhauser expects the versatile performer to take his game to even greater heights now that he has been handed a more prominent stage on which to perform.
He added: “He can play in nearly every position in midfield. Playing as a number eight would be no problem for him, but I can imagine him on the wings as well, if Chelsea plays with a system without a classic number 10.
“His advantage is he is a tall guy, two-footed and strong with his head. If he works on his physical presence, he would also certainly be well placed in centre-forward position. He already knows how to score goals.”