The Next Mesut Ozil? Or even better?
There’s a certain media storm right now surrounding the future of Bayer Leverkusen’s wonderkid and future of German football, Kai Havertz with Bayern Munich reportedly attempting to stomp up £70million to secure his signature this summer.
Little is known about the little German playmaker other than the comparisons to Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil that have been thrown around constantly. What you would know if you’ve kept a close eye on the German Bundesliga is that Havertz is having a wonderful season with Leverkusen.
16 goals and 6 assists from midfield has shown why Havertz has been considered one of the hottest properties in Europe as of this moment and the German is following in a long line of impressive midfielders who have graced the BayArena in the past. Midfielders such as Michael Ballack, Arturo Vidal, Toni Kroos and Carsten Ramelow.
Not even 20 years of age yet and Kai Havertz is not only making his mark at club level, but on the international scene also with Joachim Löw’s new look vibrant, young and refreshed Germany squad. Much has been made of Havertz’ ability, he has been earmarked as the future of German football and will become a key figure in Joachim Löw’s plans as he looks to introduce some fresh blood into the Germany fold. On the evidence of this current season, Löw would be insane not to build his new look team around the Bayer Leverkusen wonderkid.
Born in Aachen, Germany, near the Dutch border in June 1999, Havertz received his first experience in football with amateur side Alemannia Mariadorf and then snapped up by second division side Alemannia Aachen in 2008 where he spent two years in the clubs academy before he eventually signed for Bayer Leverkusen at the tender age of 11. After notching 18 goals for the Under-17s, Kai Havertz was improving rapidly, deployed mainly in the centre of midfield showing his wide range of technical abilities which attracted a lot of attention. Shining with the youth setup, Havertz was then invited to train with the first team squad and from then on, he has never looked back staking a claim to be among the first names on the team-sheet during the 2016/17 Bundesliga season.
It was during that season Havertz made his first team day-view coming as a substitute against Werder Bremen and in doing so became Leverkusen’s youngest ever debutant in the league. His first season was a roaring success and finishing the season with 28 appearances, scoring 4 goals. Among some of his other achievements he set out early in his career – becoming the clubs youngest ever Bundesliga scorer and making the first of his appearances in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid where he was unable to play in the return leg due to sitting exams! The 2017/18 season showed just how valuable and pivotal he could become to Bayer Leverkusen project. By then, he was an established first team player and in April 2018 became the youngest ever player to amass 50 league appearances in the Bundesliga.
At the end of the 2017/18, Havertz had already started to look ahead, taking part in an interview stating how confident he was at becoming a key part of the German national side in the future. Some may have put his words down to arrogance, but if you’ve watched and evaluated the quality this kid has then you can only say that Havertz is a really ambitious player, and the way he weaves around the pitch with such vigour and art, you really can’t argue that the lad doesn’t believe in his own abilities – a rare commodity within young footballers in this modern age.
Almost a year on, and those words he spoke in that interview are ringing true. Already Havertz has become a vital cog in Joachim Löw’s Germany machine and is arguably becoming Bayer Leverkusen’s best player, certainly on the evidence of this season. Watch out on your screens come the 2020 European Championships when Havertz aims to terrorise defences and drive his nation to European glory. You can’t back against him. After making his Germany bow in September 2018 against Peru in a 2 minute cameo, two further appearances followed in quick succession, and Havertz looks well on his way to becoming one of the most decorated German players, probably even surpassing his idol Mesut Ozil.
So What Does Havertz Bring to Bayer Leverkusen Table?
Well, this goal below against Leipzig at the start of the month is one to start off with, a goal truly reflecting of the kind of technical skills Kai Havertz holds:
Brilliant. Just Brilliant.
Take a look at the clip below to examine just how Kai Havertz is deployed in Peter Bosz’ fluent attacking Bayer Leverkusen line-up:
A gifted left-footed playmaker who started out as a central midfielder but is now Bayer Leverkusen’s main creative outlet as a No.10 in Peter Bosz’ very fluid 4-2-3-1 formation, but also the German wonderkid has the ability play in the No.8 position or even the No.6, another reflection of just the kind of player Bayer Leverkusen and Germany have at their arsenal. Havertz has been regularly been compared to the box-to-box Leverkusen legend Michael Ballack and ball-playing midfielder Toni Kroos and a conductor in the final third like Mesut Ozil. Think of all those players rolled into one, and you’ve got your answer. It’s Kai Havertz.
Along with Leon Bailey, Julian Brandt and Kevin Volland, Bayer Leverkusen have one the most destructive attacking forces in the Bundesliga right now, and its the understanding, the fluidity and the rapid nature in which they take apart defences that has been soo impressive under Peter Bosz. It’s frightening.
If you’ve even wandered what chemistry between two players looks like then look no further than Kai Havertz and Julian Brandt. In these two, you are looking at two of Germany’s brightest prospects. These two are border on telepathic. It’s the constant interchanging, weaving of positions and the understanding of where each other are in the final third of play that really is the hallmark of what Bosz is seeking to build in this impressive young Leverkusen side, a weapon Joachim Löw will certainly be looking to exploit as he aims to put Germany back on the map again after their downfall last summer.
What Bosz has also introduced into his set-up is the traditional 4-3-3 formation. Yes, its one commonly known to us all, but its the way in which Bosz utilises this set-up that makes his team so destructive – deploying Havertz and Brandt as No.8’s either side of Charles Aranguiz who plays in the holding role in front of the back-line. The two have formed such a formidable partnership that they have been nicknamed ‘Bravertz’. The 4-3-3 formation allows both players the freedom and fluidity to both interchange and to exploit the spaces in the gaps left behind by the centre-forward Kevin Volland. It’s because of this tactical setup by Bosz that both Havertz and Brandt are on course for their most productive seasons in the Bundesliga to date.
Kai Havertz is a player blessed with great vision, pace, passing range and also the ability and nous to pick out right positions in between the lines in order dissect defences with his sublime passes. Despite the number of comparisons to Mesut Ozil, this boy doesn’t give off the same lethargic work rate that Ozil is known to show on occasions. Havertz is the complete opposite. A player who is one of the first to press relentlessly within seconds of his team losing possession. Strong and combative in the tackle and most of all, he expresses the exuberant engine of youth. Havertz holds the potential to become one of the most compete performers of his generation. There has been a loss of emphasis on the need to play a no.10 on occasions in the modern game today, but a in Havertz, Bayer Leverkusen have a player that is very central to their play and almost puts an end to that modern trend.
A player of such wonderful abilities and potential, no wonder he is high on Bayern Munich’s priority list this summer as they aim to freshen their own attack with both Ribery and Robben both at the twilight of their careers, also Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski really aren’t getting any younger. Bayern Munich are in dire need of fresh legs and impetus this summer and the signing of Havertz may just provide with the technical they’ve been needing for a long while.
It is believed, his current value reaches the £70million mark, but in this current market, that figure may seem too small. Nonetheless, whoever is willing to cough up the big bucks for him, they are sure to have one of the brightest young talents in the world.
Kai Havertz. Remember the name.
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