Arsenal are in talks with Chelsea over a deal to sign Kai Havertz and are prepared to pay up to £60m for the German international, according to the Daily Mail.
Havertz has just two years left on his contract at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea could cash-in as they need to generate funds before the end of the month in order to meet Financial Fair Play guidelines.
The situation has alerted Arsenal as the Daily Mail says the Gunners have identified Havertz as a key summer transfer target and have now opened formal talks with Chelsea over a potential deal.
The newspaper says Arsenal are prepared to pay up to £60m including add-ons to sign the 24-year-old attacker and will pay the German international at least £200,000-a-week if he moves to the Emirates Stadium. However, while Chelsea are willing to sell Havertz, they are currently demanding closer to £70m.
The Daily Mail says Havertz is aware of Arsenal’s interest and is keen on a move across London if a deal can be agreed with Chelsea. The Athletic suggests that an opening proposal has already been put on the table by the Gunners but they could face competition from Bayern Munich with the Bundesliga giants also keeping a close eye on the situation.
The Gunners have a good working relationship with Chelsea after signing Jorginho in the winter transfer window. Havertz’s future could be decided in the coming weeks as Mauricio Pochettino begins to reshape his squad for next season.
Reinforcement
Arsenal want to bolster their attacking options for next season despite bringing in Leandro Trossard from Brighton in January and Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City last summer.
Both players have made huge contributions to the team and were close to helping Mikel Arteta’s side win the Premier League title but a poor run of results in April saw them lose out to Pep Gaurdiola’s outfit.
Jesus, who suffered an injury prior to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar last year, made 33 appearances in all competitions, scored 11 goals, and provided eight assists for the North Londoners.
Trossard featured in 22 games and made 11 goal contributions across all competitions last term, however, Arteta is keen on bolstering his attacking options and Havertz has emerged as a prime target.
In his debut season, the 24-year-old scored the only goal in Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Manchester City in the Champions League final.
The highly-rated forward has gone on to make 139 appearances in all competitions, netted 32 goals, and recorded 15 assists across all competitions. He was ever-present for below-par Chelsea last term as he featured in 47 games and made 10 goal contributions as they finished 12th in the Premier League.
Read more: Arsenal in battle with Euro giants to sign £35m winger
