Berlin (AFP)
In recent years, it has been announced as the future genius of German football. Kai Havertz, who has just celebrated his 21st birthday, plays the final of the German Cup (8:00 p.m.) on Saturday with Leverkusen against Bayern Munich, whom he could join soon.
"We will not be able to retain it this summer, it will be a transaction of more than 100 million euros", had prophesied his trainer Peter Bosz at the beginning of March ... before the wave of Covid-21, before the total cessation of football , and before the economic crisis which is shaking clubs today.
Today, by Bayer Leverkusen's own admission, there is no offer at this level for this exceptional player, whom his former coach Heiko Herrlich calls "the greatest talent I have seen since Toni Kroos ! "
"We have to accept the facts: the transfer market will not be the same this summer," says Bayer's sports director, former striker Rudi Völler, who prefers to see things on the bright side: "We have with Kai the best German player of the next decade (...) Honestly, I still have a little hope of being able to keep him for another year. "
Especially since Havertz had announced last year that he remained in Leverkusen to prepare for Euro-2020 with confidence, and that he could therefore be tempted to follow the same reasoning, given the postponement of competition in 2021.
- Bayern, Real or Chelsea? -
Where will Havertz go next? "There are not many coaches who would refuse to have Kai on their team," said Bayern coach Hansi Flick, who knew him while he was international U17 (under 17). ).
"Since then, he has progressed enormously. He plays intelligently between the lines and is very strong on the ball. He also has a fantastic scoring instinct," enthuses Flick, confirming de facto the interest of the "Rekordmeister ", which has a policy of attracting many young German internationals.
But the competition will be tough. According to the press, Real Madrid is also in the ranks, as well as several clubs in the English Premier League, including Chelsea. And Bayern having already set its sights on Leroy Sané (Manchester City), it is unlikely that it will offer these two great talents at the same time.
Paradoxically, Havertz is much less known to the general public worldwide than other talents of his generation, for lack of visibility. He has only played 8 Champions League games, all in the group stage with Leverkusen, a club that does not beat television audience records. As for his international career (7 selections), it is at a standstill, pending the post-coronavirus recovery in September.
- Earliness records -
His precociousness records, it was in the Bundesliga that Havertz beat them. Beginning at 17 years and four months old, he became at 18 the youngest player in history to have played 50 league matches. And still he missed some in his first season because he ... revised his baccalaureate!
He is also the first to have reached the 35 goal mark before the age of 21.
"I haven't seen a player with Kai Havertz's abilities for 20 years. For me, he's the most exciting player in the world today," said Dietmar Hamann, the former Liverpool and Bayern player today. star consultant on Sky.
The young man does not let himself be overwhelmed by the compliments: "I was educated so as to keep my feet on the ground", he says: "My parents taught me that arrogance was not a quality to cultivate (...) On top of that I haven't won anything yet. In football, it's the titles that count. "
On Saturday, he will have the opportunity to lift his first trophy, and perhaps further raise his odds. Even if the bar will be very high against Bayern Munich, recent German champion and untouchable since the resumption of football in May.
© 2020 AFP