This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
It seems that the footballing world is going crazy for Bayer Leverkusen’s young prodigy, Kai Havertz.
The 20-year-old midfielder is currently one of the hottest prospects that might soon become available on the market and Bild (via Express) claim that Manchester United and Bayern Munich, along with some other big teams, are in the race for his coveted signature, though the Red Devils are the side showing the most interest.
Of course, looking at the prospect at hand, it’s fairly easy to see why.
After all, we’re talking here about a young man who’s already managed to bag 31 goals and assist a further 23 for his current team despite being so young, and he’s also been capped seven times for Germany’s national team, bagging a goal for his efforts as well.
Needless to say, we are looking at a high-potential youngster who just might set the stage ablaze in the not so distant future, and for that reason, Leverkusen’s reported asking price of £111m, as was quoted by Sport Bild (via Metro), comes as no big surprise at all.
Man United are bracing for Paul Pogba’s departure, which, at this point, seems all but imminent, and with some big cash potentially flowing into their wallets, they just might have the funds necessary for such a deal.
Filling the Frenchman’s void would be difficult for Havertz but not impossible, especially if he can continue developing in the future.
His goal contribution from the middle of the park and his creativity on the ball could fit Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s bill, seeing how Pogba was often the one doing exactly that, and even though he’s one for the future, Havertz would still represent a big-name signing the Red Devils would need.
For Bayern, however, this deal doesn’t really make sense. Or rather, it won’t make much sense if they intend to keep Philippe Coutinho around.
The Brazilian is still on loan but can reportedly be purchased for around €120m (£102.6m) once the spell ends.
But seeing how the profiles of two players in question are fairly similar – since both like to act as advanced midfielders – one’s presence might mean the other will have to be either benched or sold.
Of course, maybe Bayern plan to play them both side by side but on paper, that seems like a tall task to accomplish.
Could Havertz’s possible arrival spell demise for Coutinho? Or will the Bavarians decide to go with the more developed solution in the form of the Brazilian?
We’ll have to wait and see.
Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain would find a perfect replacement for their star in Liverpool’s main man…
