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Chelsea and Bayer Leverkusen 'miles apart' regarding Kai Havertz transfer
Chelsea are still some way off reaching an agreement with Bayer Leverkusen over the transfer of Kai Havertz.
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Chelsea are currently negotiating with Bayer Leverkusen over a deal for Kai Havertz but the two clubs are reportedly 'miles apart' in their respective stances. The Blues are expected to spend big this summer as Frank Lampard looks to overhaul his squad at Stamford Bridge.
A £33.4million deal for Hakim Ziyech was penned in February while Chelsea have already agreed to trigger Timo Werner's £53m release clause at RB Leipzig.
Ben Chilwell is now the Blues' priority target as they look to upgrade at left-back but talks are also ongoing over a move for Havertz.
The German international would add some much-needed creativity to Lampard's side, having bagged 15 goals and provided eight assists in 38 appearances across all competitions.
Havertz is under contract at the BayArena until 2022 but has already indicated he is looking for a new challenge and prepared to move abroad.
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However, The Athletic report that Chelsea are struggling to come to an agreement with Leverkusen over the details of a potential transfer.
Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Liverpool and Real Madrid are all said to be interested in Havertz, complicating matters further.
The youngster was keen for a move last summer, but no club was reportedly willing to meet Leverkusen's €120m (£107.6m) price tag.
The Bundesliga club are under no pressure to sell despite the coronavirus crisis and still value Havertz at over €100m (£89m).
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However, that sum would decrease rapidly once Havertz enters the final 12 months of his contract so it is suggested that suitors could start the bidding as low as €60m (£53.8m) in the upcoming window - half Leverkusen's original asking price.
Realistically the forward is more likely to bring in a fee upwards of £70m, with Leverkusen extracting a fee that reflects their compromised chances of Champions League qualification next season without Havertz.
Chelsea have consistently been linked with a move for the forward this summer, with reports suggesting there have been concrete talks.
However, the latest update from The Athletic indicates the Blues are far from sealing a deal and the transfer saga could continue into August.
Leverkusen are still in the Europe League and would hope to still have Havertz in their side to boost their challenge.
The player himself added fuel to the transfer rumours last month, telling SportBild: “I’m ready to take a big step, and I like challenges. For me, this also includes abroad.
“Leverkusen are a great club, I feel good. I have always said that. But of course I want to take the next step in my career at some point. That’s my ambition.
“The coach is a very important person for me. It must be a good fit. You can see that with our coach, Peter Bosz. For me, the sporting direction of the club is also reflected in the choice of coach.”