Scout Report: Startling stats back up Chelsea and Liverpool pursuit of Havertz

Kai Havertz is a man in demand. Even before this season, the German youngster had a legion of admirers across the continent, yet he has taken his game to the next level for Bayer Leverkusen and with it, his price tag has soared. While he missed the 4-2 loss to Bayern Munich through injury, Havertz was the focus of attention as he sat in the stands, watching on powerless to deny the Bavarian giants from taking another huge step towards their eighth successive Bundesliga title. 

Lucas Alario may have put Bayer ahead after 10 minutes, however they were far less effective without Havertz in the side, yet the German side may be forced to make do without the 20-year-old for a lot longer than just 90 minutes against the reigning champions. Havertz is one of the most courted players in Europe in present, with Premier League interest emanating from Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United. LaLiga giants Real Madrid have also been linked with a move for the Germany international. 

And it's for good reason too. Havertz is evidently the next big star to come out of Germany and while a host of players have implored he remain in the Bundesliga next season, including former Bayer Leverkusen stars Jens Nowotny and Dimitar Berbatove, there will be a bidding way for the youngster this summer. 

The Blues aren't content with their anticipated Bundesliga raid of Timo Werner, who is believed to be on the cusp of a £50m move to Stamford Bridge, and they are now gearing up to bring Havertz to England, a player who would undoubtedly benefit Liverpool and United. But just why is there such hefty interest in Havertz? 

Well, first and foremost, it's the goals. Havertz has 11 league goals to his name this season, a respectable return for a player who isn't an out-and-out striker. Granted, Havertz has played their on more than one occasion this season, largely due to Kevin Volland's absence through injury, but he is a player who favours the space between the midfield and attack. The versatility to his game, though, is an appealing trait that the Premier League trio, among other potential suitors, will have assessed before really firming up their interest in Havertz. 

14 of his 34 starts in league and European competition have come in the number 10 role, yet his seven starts as a striker have yielded seven goals and one assist, and returned a WhoScored rating of 7.76. It's perhaps for this reason why Liverpool were fine with Werner potentially going to Chelsea. The Reds don't play with an out-and-out number nine striker, with Roberto Firmino a forward prepared to drop deeper to free up space for Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane to wreak havoc in the final third. In that regard, Havertz is a better fit than Werner. 

That said, when Havertz has the chance to score, it's one he routinely takes up. Lethal inside the 18-yard box, the range of goals have appealed to interested parties. Five of his 11 league goals have come with his left foot, three with his right while the remaining three have been headers. A modest conversion rate of 22.4% means if you find him in the right place at the right time, there's a good chance the ball will end up in the back of the net, particularly when considering nine of his 11 goals have been deemed clear-cut goalscoring chances. 

What's commendable further is that he could easily have had more than his 11 goals in the Bundesliga this season. Havertz has struck the woodwork more times (5) than any other player in Germany's top tier this term and, hypothetically speaking, had those five efforts resulted in goals rather than a shot off target, then his conversion rate would have risen to an impressive 32.7%. 

An additional crucial aspect of Havertz's approach is the selflessness to his game. While youngsters may opt to do everything on their own to add to the hype and boost their reputation, Havertz is willing to pick out the right pass to aid a teammate in their quest for goal. He may have just five league assists to his name, but this is down to the profligacy of his teammates, with his 52 key passes from open play second only to Thomas Muller (71) and Jadon Sancho (53) in the Bundesliga this season. 

It's another quality of Havertz's game that has helped propel him into the spotlight and why, if Bayer Leverkusen are open to his sale this summer, they can name their price for their prized asset. If Chelsea can lure him to Stamford Bridge, then they'll have done exceptionally well already this summer having already signed Hakim Ziyech to go with the potential capture of Werner, while he'd boost United and Liverpool, that goes without saying. 

Following an indifferent start to the season, it seemed as though Havertz's struggles means he'd fail to live up to the billing, but the Winterpause proved a blessing in disguise and he again showed that an extended break does little to dent his form. Now one of the most coveted stars in the game, expect his value to rise further as the sought after youngster continues to attract interest from Europe's elite.