It is quite rare that a Germany national football team heads into a major international tournament like the Euro 2020 as an underdog. Even though Germany are the joint-most successful side in the UEFA European championships with three titles alongside Spain, not much is expected of them in the upcoming Euros. 

Since winning the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Germany have experienced a bit of a lull compared to their impeccably high standards. The Die Mannschaft were knocked out in the group stage at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. 

Germany were also thrashed 6-0 by Spain in the UEFA Nations League last year - their worst defeat since 1931. They also recently suffered a 2-1 loss to minnows North Macedonia in the World Cup qualifiers, indicating that the European heavyweights aren’t at their ruthless best at the moment.

These results, in fact, have forced Joachim Low to step down as Germany head coach with former Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick set to take charge after the Euros.

Joachim Low and his men are placed in Group F, which is considered the group of death at Euro 2020. Germany’s group features world champions France, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and Hungary.

Germany have announced an experienced squad for Euro 2020, recalling World Cup winners Thomas Muller and Mats Hummels after a two-year absence. Low has also added Monaco striker Kevin Volland, who has not played for Germany since 2016, as well as the Bayern Munich teenager Jamal Musiala.

Germany squad for Euro 2020 

Goalkeepers: Bernd Leno, Manuel Neuer, Kevin Trapp

Defenders: Matthias Ginter, Robin Gosens, Christian Gunter, Marcel Halstenberg, Mats Hummels, Lukas Klostermann, Robin Koch, Antonio Rudiger, Niklas Sule

Midfielders: Emre Can, Leon Goretzka, Ilkay Gundogan, Kai Havertz, Jonas Hofmann, Joshua Kimmich, Toni Kroos, Florian Neuhaus

Forwards: Serge Gnabry, Thomas Muller, Jamal Musiala, Timo Werner, Leroy Sane, Kevin Volland

 

 

SWOT Analysis of Germany Euro 2020 squad

Strength

Germany have several quality midfielders in their squad for the upcoming UEFA European championships. With the likes of Toni Kroos, Joshua Kimmich, Ilkay Gundogan, Kai Havertz and Leon Goretzka, they have depth and a variety of options to choose from.

The team also possesses world class wingers who can change the complexion of the game with their speed and trickery in the wide areas. Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala and Thomas Muller are all household names in world football and it’s safe to say that opposition defenders will be far from keen when it comes to facing them.

Weaknesses

However, the Die Mannschaft lacks a traditional No. 9 in the mould of Robert Lewandowski or Harry Kane. The form of Chelsea forward Timo Werner is also a concern for Joachim Low’s side. Werner has failed to live upto the expectations since his transfer to Chelsea at the start of last season. 

He’s lacked confidence in front of goal and was guilty of missing an easy opportunity during Germany’s recent loss against North Macedonia. The German defence has also been vulnerable in recent times having kept just two clean sheets in their last 11 outings.

Opportunity

Since people have unusually low expectations from the German side this time around, the players can take this opportunity to express themselves on the field as they look to rally around the coach to give him a perfect send off.

Furthermore, Germany will play all its group games and a potential quarterfinal at home in Munich. This will give them an added advantage.

Threat

Germany scored a whopping 30 goals in their eight UEFA European Championship qualifying matches. This figure has been bettered by just one team in the groups of teams who played only eight games and that was England. 

Captain Manuel Neuer will hope that his team can rediscover their Midas touch in front of goal at Euro 2020 as they bid to become the most successful team in the history of the competition. Germany will begin their Euro 2020 campaign against world champions France at the Allianz Arena on June 16.

Featured photo: THILO SCHMUELGEN / POOL / AFP

The consequences of the global pandemic had little to no effect on the Premier League club’s spending ahead of the 2020-21 season. While Chelsea ended up splashing over £200m on new signings, the likes of Manchester City and Leeds United weren’t behind. 

However, money never guarantees success and these spendings have also had mixed results so far. While there have been players like Tomas Soucek, Ollie Watkins and James Rodriguez, who have impressed one and all, there have been others who have failed to live up the hype. 

Today, we take a look at five such players who have struggled to live up to the expectations.

Willian - Arsenal

Willian arrived at Arsenal amidst much fan-fare and the Brazilian put on a man-of-the-match performance on his PL debut for the Gunners as well, assisting two goals in a 3-0 win over Fulham. However, that has been his only notable contribution in an Arsenal shirt till date. Since then, he has only provided a solitary assist and has failed to score a single goal across four different competitions. What’s more worrisome is the fact that his conversion rate has deteriorated considerably as he averages1.3 shots per 90 minutes. Note that this is the same player who bagged 11 goals last season with Chelsea.

Kai Havertz - Chelsea

Kai Havertz became the most expensive player of the 2020 summer transfer window when Chelsea decided to pay £71million to Bayer Leverkusen for the 21-year-old. Coming at the back of a fantastic season in Bundesliga, where he had scored 18 goals and nine assists, fans and experts had expected a commanding display from the German but the youngster has not only failed to justify his price tag, but his ineffective displays have drawn extreme criticism as well. So far, the 21-year-old has scored four goals across four competitions and has provided as many assists.

Donny van de Beek - Manchester United

The signing of Donny van de Beek from Ajax was a smooth transition, to say the least, but many supporters and even the former players questioned why he was signed by Manchester United in the first place. Fast forward to the date and the 23-year-old still remains a deviant figure at the club. Regardless of the talent he brings, the title of being one of the worst transfers comes on the back of an extreme muddle as no one is still aware of his best position. Manager Ole Gunnar-Solksjaer has answered the questions regarding his absence in sheer professionalism, but the fact remains that he has started just two league games this season

Timo Werner - Chelsea 

"At the beginning, I had this self-image that I can go on doing my thing here, but in the last few months, I have been brought down to earth. It's the way in England that you never have a quiet game,�?striker Timo Werner recently made an honest admission about his time in the Premier League.

The German international, who bagged 34 goals and 13 assists for RB Leipzig last season, has been relatively quiet in the Premier League this term. Joining the Blues for £47.5 million, the 24-year-old fell short of expectations and has failed to adapt to the rugged style of the league, meaning that he has been limited to just five goals in the league; a far cry from the standard he showcased last season. Now, there are several reasons as to why Werner has been failing to find the goal, with one being Frank Lampard’s use of the striker. During the tenure of the former manager, Werner was used in four different positions and that pretty much explains why he is struggling with consistency.

Rhian Brewster - Sheffield United

Splashing a club-record £23.5 million for a player who was yet to make a single Premier League appearance was always going to be a gamble, and that hasn’t really paid off well for Sheffield United this season. The signing of Rhian Brewster from Liverpool received rave reviews considering the fact that he had scored 11 goals in 22 games during his brief loan spell at Swansea City in the 2019-20 Championship season. That £23.5 million, however, has given Sheffield United 734 league minutes, zero goals and as many assists. The 20-year-old has made 18 Premier League appearances so far and averages a mere 0.7 shots per game; certainly not a figure that he wants to be associated with.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Ian Kington, Stu Forster

As per Chelsea manager Frank Lampard, midfielder Kai Havertz has tested positive for the global virus and the Germany international has subsequently gone into self-isolation, which left him out as Chelsea went on to beat Rennes 3-0 in their Champions League match on Wednesday.

Havertz is also poised to miss Chelsea's game against Sheffield United on Saturday as well as Germany's three upcoming matches.

Havertz made headlines when he joined the Blues from Bayer Leverkusen for an initial fee of £70m during the summer transfer window. However, despite scoring four goals and three assists during his first 10 appearances for Chelsea, Havertz has received some flack for his play during the final third of matches. In fact, three of his four goals came in a single match, when Chelsea beat second-tier team Barnsley 6-0 in the Carabao Cup back in September.

However, despite Havertz's slow start, team-mate and fellow countryman Timo Werner feels it's just a matter of time before he starts showing what he's capable of, and said before the game against Rennes, “I know Kai very well and I think he is one of the most talented players in the whole world."

"He is a young boy, only 21 and he can learn a lot but can already play like a very, very old and wise player. I think up until now he feels very well here.

"A bit like me, we have talked a lot about settling in and he feels he is very happy to be here. In a lot of games, he has shown what he can do, what he can bring to the team.

"For Kai, it is very important to score, but I think what you can see in his game, he is about a lot more than scoring goals as a midfield player. He plays a lot of key passes, makes a lot of movement for other players.

"He is very talented and feels good. He will get better and better, like me he has come to a new country, language and style of football and has to learn, but until now he plays very good and we will see a lot more good games from him.�?/p>

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Oli Scarff

After agreeing on deals to sign Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, and with Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva nearly onboarded with a �?0m deal and free transfer respectively, Frank Lampard's Chelsea's signing frenzy has now reportedly shelled out a cool �?00m to snare Kai Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen.

As per Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are now just 'one step away' from securing the services of the German and that a 'total agreement' is just a few hours away, once the 'last bid will be accepted'.

Kai Havertz to Chelsea, one step away and then... here we go! Total agreement to be reached on nest hours with Bayer Leverkusen. Last bid is going to be accepted. �?0M + �?0M add ons as final fee. Last details and paperworks time. #CFC #Havertz #Chelsea

�?Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 24, 2020

That last bid is apparently �?00m, including �?0m along with �?0m of addons. While the sum is no doubt eye-opening, it is warranted given the 21-year-old's impressive 2019/20 season for Bayer that saw him score 12 goals and provide six assists in 30 Bundesliga appearances.

Despite his efforts, however, Bayer failed to qualify for next season's Champions League, providing Havertz with the perfect reason to look for an exit, and Lampard helped him find the door.

Havertz's skill and self-reliance

Like German football expert Raphael Honigstein put it to Sky Sports recently, “He (Havertz) is an outstanding talent, there’s absolutely no doubt about that. He’s in a position where he could dominate the German national team over the next decade, depending on his position.

“Will he play in the No. 10 role and become the new Mesut Ozil or will he settle a bit deeper and become the new Toni Kroos? He’s got the ability to play almost anywhere in front of the defence."

Honigstein stressed on Havertz's ability to combine his technical ability with self-sufficiency when it comes to 'creating goals himself'.

“I think the best way to sum it up is that he’s a cross between Mesut Ozil and Michael Ballack. Both of them individually in their prime were pretty good players but a combination of both players in their prime, he’ll be an absolute superstar.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Martin Meissner

As days tick on in the short off-season ahead of the resumption of football in Europe, teams looking to add to their squad before the new campaign commences are in a race against time. 

The biggest transfer story of the summer remains Manchester United’s on-going pursuit of Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho. The deal has apparently hit an impasse with rumours swirling that the English giants remain unwilling to pay the German side’s asking price of over 100 million pounds. 

While United and Dortmund continue to bide their time, other teams across Europe are moving fast in the transfer window and we take a look some of the most important transfer stories from across Europe.

Chelsea closing in on Chilwell, Havertz and Silva

Chelsea, who have already added Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner to their roster this off-season, continue to pursue their targets aggressively in the transfer market.

Chelsea updates. #CFC
- Ben Chilwell deal to be completed on next days. He’s always been the main target as LB. Last details then here-we-go soon.
- Thiago Silva talks on (final answer on next week).
- Havertz: Chelsea are negotiating with Bayer and now’re preparing a new bid.

�?Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 21, 2020

According to reliable Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano and English journalist David Ornstein, Chelsea are closing on Leicester City full-back Ben Chilwell in a deal that is set to cost the Londoners over 50 million pounds.

Leicester City had initially demanded a fee closer to 80 million pounds, the same amount they received for letting Harry Maguire join Manchester United. However, the pandemic and Chilwell’s willingness to move has seen them soften their stance and are now close to agreeing a fee in the region of 50 million. 

• Transfer Gossip: Messi likely to leave, Arsenal and Juve considering swap

The Londoners are also closing in on another long-term target, Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz. The young German has been a subject of interest for all of Europe’s elite clubs, however, Chelsea’s bloated spending power has seen them take the lead in the race to sign the wonderkid. 

The two teams remain slightly apart in their valuation of the player, but Havertz has made Leverkusen know that he wants to join Chelsea and the deal looks close to conclusion. 

Chelsea aren’t quite done yet. PSG captain Thiago Silva’s agent has offered his client's service to the Londoners for the upcoming season. The 35-year-old will leave PSG on a free after their Champions League final on Sunday and the veteran centre-back has expressed an interest in joining the Blues.

With close to 150 million committed to signing Chilwell and Havertz, and their hunt for a new goalkeeper still active, Chelsea could explore signing Silva as a stop-gap signing on a free for a couple of seasons. 

Mass exodus in Turin

New Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo has commenced his cleanout at the club, with a number of the squad’s senior players being asked to leave the club.

• Why did Juventus replace Maurizio Sarri with Andrea Pirlo?

Midfielder Blaise Matuidi has already moved to David Beckham’s Inter Miami in the Major League Soccer and Pirlo wants the club to buyout the contracts of veteran Sami Khedira and striker Gonzalo Higuain. 

After Matuidi deal with Inter Miami completed for free, Juventus have decided also to terminate contracts of Higuain and Khedira. They're out of the Pirlo project.
Talks on to find an agreement on the payout (both have still 1 year contract left with Juve). ⚪️⚫️ #transfers #Juve

�?Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 21, 2020

Khedira joined the Old Lady on a free transfer back in 2015, while Higuain was the club’s record-signing in 2016, before their acquisition of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018.

Both players have a year left on their current deals and the club is negotiating a buyout with both players.

Among others that could be heading out of Turin are winger Douglas Costa and centre-back Daniele Rugani. The duo is also seemingly not in Pirlo’s plans for next season and the club is actively listening to offers for both players.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Rui Viera, Miguel Medina

Manchester United’s pursuit of Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho has been the most obvious talk of the town of late. And with the number of potential suitors increasing followed by the imminent arrival of Jude Bellingham from Birmingham, Sancho’s exit from Germany seems like just a matter of time.

Dortmund had signed Sancho as a 17-year-old from Manchester City for a mere £8 million, and it didn’t take long for him to assert his claim in one of the toughest leagues of Europe. Three years on, the winger has now become one of the most wanted commodities, especially in England.

The situation, however, is tricky, with Sky Sports reporting Manchester United will not pay more than £50m for the 20-year-old, while Dortmund are hanging on to their £100m valuation of their player. And while Sancho himself is keen on moving back to England, with Manchester United tipped as favourites, failing to achieve a middle-ground in the negotiation would mean United will have to look for options.

That said, here are five players who might fit the bill for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Manchester United:

Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona)

Jadon Sancho’s game revolves around speed and flair coupled with an ability to take on defender after defender; a trait also matched by Philippe Coutinho. Having endured a tough time since moving to Barcelona from Liverpool in January 2018 for a fee reported to be around £142 million, the Brazilian has slowly become an unwanted commodity in Spain.

Coutinho put in a strong showing at Bayern Munich while on loan for the 2019/20 season, scoring eight goals and six assists in 23 league appearances, but the newly-crowned Bundesliga champions are adamant on not making his deal a permanent one, which is set to cost them a reported fee of �?20m. The situation is indeed tedious, but Manchester United can forge in between to take the Brazilian out of his misery.

However, if United are to consider a move, there are a couple of factors that might hinder their approach, with the first being his six years of history with Liverpool. That can well and truly be resolved, but the final thing they need to negotiate is the fee, with Barcelona looking to recoup as much as they can.

Ferran Torres (Valencia)

Statistics-wise, Valencia’s Ferran Torres hasn’t done much to be in the league of Sancho, having scored just four goals and four assists in 31 La Liga appearances, but it is his style of play which has garnered the attention of some of the top clubs of Europe.

If reports are to be believed, should Sancho exit, United will have to compete with the likes of Juventus and even Borussia Dortmund for Torres, who has excelled in becoming Valencia’s youngest Champions League goalscorer and youngest to play 50 La Liga games at 19 years and 324 days old.

Torres is usually deployed as a right-winger, but his versatility allows him to play on the left and as a centre-forward too. Known for playing some dangerous key passes into the final third, Torres�?game revolves around dribbling and taking on defenders on his own at times. He may well and truly not be a like-to-like replacement of Sancho, but given his age, there’s always a scope for improvement.

Adama Traore (Wolves)

"He is a motorcycle! It’s almost impossible. Nobody can handle this pace,�?Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola had said ahead of his side’s clash against Wolves in December, and the Spaniard’s assessment turned out to be perfect, as the Wolves went on to clinch all three points, with Traore terrorising the City defence as if it was a piece of cake.

Traore, at times, may seem like an unfinished product, but at 24, he has all the time in the world.

Having scored six goals and nine assists in all competitions this season, Traore has established himself as one of the fastest players at present. The 24-year-old sure has some disciplinary issues, but there’s certainly no questioning his return on the field.

Traore has averaged a whopping 5.1 dribbles and 1.3 key passes per game and has established an exhilarating partnership with Raul Jimenez.  The duo has, in fact, combined for 10 Premier League goals this season, the most of any EPL duo, and just the seventh different partnership to manage at least 10 in a single campaign in the competition.

Paulo Dybala (Juventus)

United’s pursuit of Paulo Dybala has time and again manifested in the tabloids since the last summer transfer window. The Argentine attacker, however, has gone from being offered to a host of clubs last year to one of Juventus�?most important players this season.

Having scored 16 goals and seven assists in all competitions, Dybala would be an ideal candidate if United fail to land Sancho, with the 26-year-old sharing several common traits with the Dortmund winger.

Dybala, like Sancho, loves to bring his teammates into the game and plays several key passes in the final third. And while his defensive contribution has been questioned, the overall quality he brings into the game is almost unmatchable. The Argentine, this season, has averaged 3.1 shots, two key passes and 1.9 dribbles per game in Serie A; a statistic which is bound to excite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen)

Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz has caused a serious stir amongst some of the top European clubs, having scored 12 goals and six assists in 30 Bundesliga games this season. From the lot, Chelsea are expected to be the favourites, but an offer from Manchester United will be just as tempting for the 21-year-old.

Havertz is a tad different than Sancho as he loves to play centrally rather than on the wings. Make no mistake though, he is versatile enough to be deployed on the wings as well as a centre-forward. In fact, 10 of his 15 goals have come either from the centre-forward position or from the right-wing.

Ahead of the Bundesliga restart, Havertz was directly involved in 17 goals for Bayer Leverkusen in all competitions in 2020 (10 goals, seven assists); two more than any other player in the competition. A serious nominee for Solskjaer.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Ronny Hartmann, Miguel Medina, Geoff Caddick

After a two-month hiatus, football is set to resume this weekend, with the German Bundesliga returning to action. Bundesliga will be the first of the top five European leagues to return from suspension. And naturally, the fans are excited for footballing action to return to their TV screens. 

A lot of top-quality players will be taking the field starting this weekend. And ahead of the much-anticipated return of the Bundesliga, here are five players worth keeping an eye out for in the final leg of the 2019/20 campaign.

Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) 

One of the most feared strikers in Europe, Robert Lewandowski may very well be on the wrong side of the thirties, but that hasn’t stopped him plundering goals in large numbers. The Poland international had been Bayern’s shining light in a difficult first half of the campaign and has continued to play an important role under new manager Hansi Flick, as Die Roten have mounted a strong comeback.

Third on the list of all-time leading goalscorers in the Bundesliga, Lewandowski has found the back of the net 25 times in 23 games this season, scoring at a rate of more than one goal per game. The 31-year-old also has three assists to go along with his goals.

Lewandowski finished the last two seasons as the top goalscorer in the Bundesliga, and given the form that he has shown and only Werner for competition, one wouldn’t bet against him to complete a hat-trick of Torjagerkanone.

Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund) 

One of the most sought-after players heading into the summer transfer window, Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho has had an exceptional 2019/20 campaign. The England international has grown into a superstar since joining the German outfit in 2017 and has been one of the key driving forces behind their push for the title this term.

The 20-year-old has contributed with 14 goals and 15 assists in the league this term. Only Lionel Messi of Barcelona and Lazio’s Ciro Immobile have been directly involved in more goals than the Dortmund winger in the top five leagues in Europe. 

A gifted dribbler possessing blistering pace, the England international backs it up with quality end product, making him a lethal presence on the field. His form will be key for Dortmund if they are to end the Bayern Munich monopoly in Bundesliga.

Timo Werner (RB Leipzig) 

The 24-year-old German international has grown into one of the most consistent goalscorers in Europe over the past couple of seasons. And as a result, he has attracted interest from a number of top clubs in the continent. There is no denying the importance of Timo Werner in the rapid rise of RB Leipzig as one of the top sides in Germany and a regular fixture in European football.

Under Julian Nagelsmann this season, the German striker has been leading RB Leipzig’s charge for the title, as they sit just five points below leaders Bayern Munich. Werner is the second-highest goalscorer in the Bundesliga this term, bagging 21 goals in 25 league outings while contributing with seven assists as well.

Werner’s pace and clinical finishing, coupled with his ability to play in wider roles make him a perfect fit in Nagelsmann’s team. And if Leipzig are to somehow topple both Bayern and Dortmund to the title, the former VfB Stuttgart man will, without a doubt, be the key man.

Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen) 

Bayer Leverkusen, under Peter Bosz, have grown into one of the most exciting teams to watch due to their gung-ho attacking approach. And one of the key members that has helped this system work seamlessly is the 20-year-old attacking midfielder, Kai Havertz.

The Leverkusen academy man might not have been involved in as many goals as some of the players on this list, having contributed with six goals and five assists in 22 Bundesliga outings, but his value to the team goes far beyond these numbers. Havertz stands out on the field due to his intelligent movement, ability to pick a pass that unlocks defences, while also being incredibly versatile. 

Indeed, the youngster has been deployed in an array of roles by Bosz, starting from his preferred No. 10 role, to a false-nine, to a box-to-box midfielder, as well as a winger. And Havertz has thrived wherever he has been stationed. For Leverkusen to clinch a Champions League spot, the youngster, who has been linked with Chelsea and Liverpool, will have a pivotal role to play.

Alassane Plea (Borussia Monchengladbach)

The Frenchman has grown into a key player for Borussia Monchengladbach since joining the club in the summer of 2018. And he has once again been a top performer for the Foals this season, as they sit just six points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

Plea, so far this season, has scored eight goals and assisted seven more in 22 Bundesliga matches. Five of his eight goals have been match-winning efforts. Only Lewandowski and Wolfsburg’s Wout Weghorst have scored more match-winners than the 27-year-old forward in the German top-flight this term.

Plea’s exceptional positional awareness and movement in the final third make him an important player for the team, as he has that ability to drag defenders with him, creating gaps for his teammates. Gladbach truly have a quality player with great all-round qualities, who will be key for them to push for a top three finish.

The sporting world might have come to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic but the European football transfer market is still buzzing with some top clubs splurging huge amounts of money in order to secure the services of young players who could possibly be future stars.

One of those youngsters is a certain 20-year-old Kai Havertz, and top European Clubs like Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal are reportedly keen on signing him.

So, who is Kai Havertz, and why is he drawing so much attention from these top clubs? Let's take a look.

Morning shows the day

Havertz plays for Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen at present. He has been with the club since he was 11 years old and became the youngest debutant in the club's history when he made his maiden appearance for them at the age of 17 years and 126 days, as a second-half substitute against Werder Bremen.

Read | Ultimate XI of players coached by Pep Guardiola

That game was in 2016 and Havertz has since picked up four seasons of experience in the Bundesliga at a mere 20 years of age.

He has racked up 38 goals in a total of 139 appearances for the club but it was his performance last season, during which he racked up 17 goals in 34 games, that put Havertz at the top of the wishlists of some European giants.

With six goals and five assists to his name in 22 appearances, Havertz had been in fine form in the 2019/20 season as well. 23 of his 38 career goals have come in the last two Bundesliga seasons and that shows how the youngster has improved over the last two years.

High praise from the experts

Havertz also made his international debut for Germany during this period and has gone on to play a total of seven matches for them. Germany's manager Joachim Loew has said some very good things about the youngster as well, “To play such a season at 19 and score 17 goals is exceptional."

“With Kai Havertz I asked myself after the first time he trained with us whether he could’ve already been with us for a year or two,�?Loew told Kicker.

"It seemed as if he’d always played with the others. I’ve seen that very, very rarely with a player before.�?/p>

Loew is a very tough man to impress and his excitement about the 20-year-old’s lends further credibility to Havertz’s potential.

Read | Ultimate XI of players coached by Jurgen Klopp

In fact, he is not the only man impressed with the youngster; Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri saw Havertz when they played against Leverkusen in the Champions League clash last year. Sarri was highly impressed with the way Havertz played as well and according to him, he is a complete player.

“He is a player who combines excellent physical qualities with great technical skills,�?Sarri said during a press release.

“At the moment they are using him mainly as an attacking midfielder behind the central forward or as a winger. I think he is a complete player that could also play as a midfielder.�?/p>

Sarri's analysis of Havertz shows why so many top-flight clubs are after him. A player flexible enough to play in any role in the midfield and in the forward lines is very rare and hence, anyone would want to have him on their side.

Havertz's transfer is expected to cost no less than £90m and it would be interesting to see which club wins the race for him.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Miguel Riopa