Kai Havertz is a donkey! Chelsea star 'delighted' to have foal named after him ahead of Arsenal move

• Kai Havertz has donkey named after him
• German given nickname by Chelsea team-mates
• 24-year-old set to move to Arsenal

WHAT HAPPENED? Havertz grew up spending time with rescued donkeys at a sanctuary near his hometown of Aachen in Germany. His Chelsea team-mates have given him the nickname 'donkey' due to his love of the animal and because they are intelligent creatures. Now, the Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth, Devon, has named a foal after the 24-year-old - who is set to sign for Arsenal.

WHAT THEY SAID: Havertz told the Donkey Sanctuary: “I have followed the work of The Donkey Sanctuary for some time so when they got in touch to say they’d like to name a foal after me, I was delighted.

“Donkeys are such incredible animals, and I am very happy to give my name so this little donkey can help raise awareness of the importance of good donkey welfare, here and all around the world.”

Marianne Steele, CEO of The Donkey Sanctuary, added: “Kai has proved to be a real champion of donkeys in every sense of the word. We are so pleased to have the opportunity to name our new foal after him and hope he will continue to inspire people to think about donkeys differently.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The German international, who joined Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen in 2020, is on the verge of a £65 million ($83m) move to the Gunners. The attacking midfielder and forward, who scored nine goals in 47 games for the west London side last season, also bagged the winning goal in the 2021 Champions League final against Manchester City.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

(C)Getty Images

Getty

Getty

WHAT NEXT? Havertz is on his summer break but looks set to join Arsenal on a long-term deal this week.