Havertz expected to undergo medical in London before completing move
Friday 4 September 2020 20:24, UK
Kai Havertz has left Germany's training camp to fly to London ahead of a move to Chelsea.
The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder is set to join Chelsea from the Bundesliga side after the clubs agreed a £71m fee.
Havertz was in Stuttgart with Germany's squad for their UEFA Nations League fixtures, having been an unused substitute as they drew 1-1 with Spain on Thursday night.
Both Bayer Leverkusen and Germany confirmed Havertz's departure on Friday morning, with the club thanking the national side for cooperating.
"I exchanged ideas with Oliver Bierhoff and Jogi Low over the past few days," Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller said. "They understand the special situation of the player and also of us as a club.
"We are grateful to the national coach that Kai can now sort things out with our support on site in London."
It remains unclear whether Havertz will be able to rejoin Germany's squad for Sunday's Nations League match against Switzerland.
"The future belongs to Kai - in the club and in the national team," Germany national team director Oliver Bierhoff said. "Of course we would have preferred if he could have fully concentrated on the national team at the start of the new international season.
"But we are aware of the importance for Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Kai and want to deal with it responsibly. At the same time, it is an honour and recognition for German football when young German players are in demand at top international clubs.
"The experience these players collect abroad - both in terms of sport and personal development - can also benefit the national team. We were in constant contact with Rudi Voller in order to find a good solution together. "
Earlier this week, Leverkusen's head coach Peter Bosz said 21-year-old Havertz is unlikely to train for the club again as he nears a move to the Premier League.
Havertz looks set to become Frank Lampard's seventh summer signing, following the arrivals of Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva, Malang Sarr and Xavier Mbuyamba.
As part of the deal, Chelsea have offered Leverkusen the chance to sign one of their summer arrivals, Sarr, on loan for the season.
German football expert Raphael Honigstein says Havertz will "dominate" the Germany national team over the next 10 years.
"He has work to do and has things to prove because he's only just turned 21, but he's an outstanding talent, there's absolutely no doubt about that. He's in a position where he could dominate the German national team over the next decade, depending on his position," he told the Transfer Talk podcast.
"Will he play in the No 10 role and become the new Mesut Ozil or will he settle a bit deeper and become the new Toni Kroos? He's got the ability to play almost anywhere in front of the defence.
"If you look at the unique combination he has of technical ability and eye for a pass, but also having the ability to score and create goals himself, and his runs to be good in the air, I think the best way to sum it up is that he's a cross between Mesut Ozil and Michael Ballack."
In conversation with Kai Havertz's former coach, Adam Bate traces the player's journey from his breakthrough season to the superstar of today, identifying the qualities that make him so special.
The summer transfer window will run for 10 weeks from July 27 and close at 11pm on October 5.
A domestic-only window for trades between the Premier League and EFL then runs from October 5 and closes on Friday, October 16 at 5pm. Follow all the news and analysis on Sky Sports News and across Sky Sports' digital platforms, including with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.
