I am leaning towards Havertz again. His attacking output has diminished so far this term, but I have no doubt he would find a new level under Klopp. We have no player like him – someone with Ozil's speed and elegance multiplied by far greater work ethic and versatility. He could slot in for any of the front 3 or perform any of the midfield roles with enough energy and tactical intelligence that Klopp requires; a quality addition that will undoubtedly improve us.
Here are a couple of latest articles. BTW the stats they use need to be updated, he just added a goal and assist in the last game.
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Liverpool: The Verdict on the Reds’ interest in Kai Havertz
by Jonathan Radcliffe
19/1/2020 | 07:50pm
Liverpool have been linked with Kai Havertz once again in the last few days.
Reports back in December claimed the Reds had held talks with the 20-year-old’s representatives, and the latest news suggests the Anfield outfit could lodge a club-record bid of €125m (£107m) for the Germany international (German media via Mundo Deportivo). It seems to be a transfer rumour that will rumble on and on until the Bayer Leverkusen man chooses his next club.
He has not been in such great form this term, managing just two goals and one assist in 14 Bundesliga matches prior to their winter break, but last season he registered 17 strikes and four lay-offs in 34 games respectively.
Would he be a good signing for the Reds? We asked four of our writers to give their verdicts.
Vijievan Jeevathayalan
“Having seen Emre Can fall by the wayside and end up joining Juventus, Jurgen Klopp would likely relish the chance to work with another German talent in Kai Havertz. The 52-year-old showed in his time as Borussia Dortmund manager that he can help take players to the next level – just look at how Mario Gotze, Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gundogan all eventually earned high-profile moves to the likes of Bayern Munich and Manchester City respectively. Havertz’s stumbles this season at Bayer Leverkusen – he has managed just three goals compared to when he scored 20 times last year – proves he is still in need of some vital learning. And who better to provide him with that than Klopp? The Liverpool boss has developed the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah into players who have just finished in the top five of the most recent Ballon d’Or rankings. Still only 20, Havertz could grow into a superstar under Klopp.”
Domagoj Kostanjsak
“To me, this looks like the signing that would finally fill the void left by Philippe Coutinho a couple of years back. Kai Havertz is one of the top young talents in the world at the moment and brings about pace, technical prowess and creativity, as evidenced by his average of 2.4 key passes per game. But the problem is, Liverpool have already moved on from Coutinho, and don’t seem to need someone to fill in the attacking-midfielder or a no.10 role anymore. A world-record fee for someone who wouldn’t necessarily have a defined place in the team doesn’t seem like good business to me. Jurgen Klopp could alter the system to accommodate him but I don’t see that happening either since the current one is now a well-oiled machine.”
James Beavis
“f Jurgen Klopp is looking for another player who will fit into his philosophy at Liverpool, he should look no further than Kai Havertz. The German manager clearly likes players with the right attitude who are willing to do everything they can on the pitch to help the team, and an interview the Bayer Leverkusen youngster did last year on Bundesliga.com suggests he would fit in perfectly under Klopp.
“He said: “I often take on responsibility, but I’m okay with that. It’s a different kind of pressure. People maybe see you a bit differently and if you play badly, which is normal every now and then as a young player, you’re criticised a bit more, but that’s normal and I think I can deal with that pressure.”
And he would certainly be under pressure to succeed should he join Liverpool for a world-record fee, but the signs are that the 20-year-old has a maturity beyond his years, and is willing to step up and take on extra responsibility even given his age. The pressure at Anfield wouldn’t only come from the potential price tag either, and he would be expected to perform to a high standard consistently if he wanted to be a regular in the starting XI for a club who intend to dominate in both the Premier League and the Champions League. 31 goals and 23 assists in 126 matches for Leverkusen to date shows the potential is there.
Jack Saville
“Liverpool’s imperious form in the Premier League since the beginning of the 2017/18 campaign has been enthralling to witness but it won’t continue indefinitely if the club fail to make the right moves in the transfer market. While Jurgen Klopp’s heavy metal brand of football is working to devastating effect right now, eventually his tactical approach will turn stale if he fails to tweak his system accordingly.
“As a natural number ten Kai Havertz is not a player who slots into the current side, but with Marko Grujic set to return in the summer and Fabinho established as the Mascherano-Alonso hybrid Liverpool have always dreamed of, the Bundesliga star could be the perfect candidate to operate at the highest point of a three man midfield next season. Financially speaking, the alleged money involved is a huge gamble for Michael Edwards but the signings of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson prove high risk equals high reward.”
Player Analysis: Bundesliga wonderkid Kai Havertz
Vishnu Anandraj 20/01/2020
The Bundesliga has produced some of the most prodigious talents in European football and Kai Havertz has become the next youth sensation from the German talent machine.
At 20-years of age, Havertz has already established himself as one of the best players in the Bundesliga and commanded interest from the likes of Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Barcelona.
Often times, the talent of young players can be grossly exaggerated and they can attract unwarranted interest from top European sides. But this isn’t the case with 20-year-old Havertz. In nearly four years of Bundesliga football, Havertz has shown a level of talent and consistency that merits attention from football’s elite clubs.
For such a young player, his output in terms of goals and assists is remarkable. He already has 102 Bundesliga appearances to his name, in which time he has racked up 26 goals and 17 assists, meaning Havertz averages an impressive 0.42 goal involvements per game. Within the context of four managerial changes and just one Champions League finish in his time at Leverkusen, these numbers are all the more eye catching.
Havertz has played a variety of roles for Leverkusen over the past few seasons, featuring as a number six, number eight, right-winger, and even as a false nine. However, he has performed best as a number ten or as an eight with the license to push forward and dictate the course of games.
This has been the German’s role since the appointment of Peter Bosz last season, playing in a 4-3-3 as a free-roaming central midfielder with the screening presence of Charles Aranguiz behind him. With a style focused on possession and building through the thirds, Bosz provided Havertz with a high degree of creative license and encourages him to swap positions with the forwards. It led to the German international scoring 17 Bundesliga goals last campaign and cementing himself as one of the league’s best players.
This season, however, Havertz has failed to replicate the same output. The departure of Julian Brandt and an arduous first half of the season for the club as a whole has led to the Aachen born youngster scoring just twice.
While this is a significant drop-off, the underlying numbers suggest that Havertz is performing just as well – if not better – than last season. In the 18/19 season, Havertz scored 17 goals from an expected goals tally of 11.99, suggesting he should have scored fewer goals based on the shots he took.
This season, he has scored twice from an expected goals figure of 2.81, while his expected assists has increased from 0.09 last season to 0.25. He has also maintained a pass accuracy of 87% and averaged 2.4 key passes per 90 and 2.0 successful dribbles per game, both of which are significant improvements from last season. Havertz has not stagnated, and clubs shouldn’t be dissuaded by his lower goals tally.
Furthermore, many of Havertz’s best attributes are not reflected in statistics. His movement both on and off the ball are superb; as he excels at finding space in the channels, in between the lines, or out wide to affect play.
His ability to execute chipped passes, crosses, and through balls combined with his range of passing mean that once he finds space, Havertz is often able to find a teammate further forward. Alternatively, his movement allows him to arrive in prime goal-scoring positions where his 6’2” frame and finishing ability enables him to dispatch chances.
With such a well-developed repertoire at a young age, it’s no surprise that Havertz is attracting attention from a number of world-class teams.
His most likely destination is Bayern Munich, given that they have a tendency of signing the best young German talents within the Bundesliga. However, the likes of Manchester United, PSG, Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Chelsea all have the financial resources to acquire him.
In terms of tactical system, Barcelona or Manchester City would be the most sensible destination for the German. Both Quique Setien and Pep Guardiola utilize a tactical system with several similarities to that of Bayer Leverkusen’s; such as playing two attack-minded central midfielders in a 4-3-3, allowing a high degree of positional fluidity in attack, and encouraging the midfield players to supply the forwards with direct, penetrative passes along the ground. With David Silva leaving City at the end of the season and Barcelona’s midfield appearing ponderous at times this term, it could be a suitable move for both parties.
Havertz is a truly exciting prospect. He combines the technical ability of a traditional playmaker with dynamism, intelligent movement, and an eye for goal. In the era of pressing, possession-based football, Havertz is the prototypical number ten of the future.
With his contract running out in 2022, it is likely that his time at Bayer Leverkusen will soon come to a close. Securing his signature will no doubt be a top priority for clubs across Europe.
