Kai Havertz believes the current Chelsea squad is a special group who can achieve special things on the pitch next season.
The 23-year-old, who will forever be part of Chelsea’s history following his Champions League final winning goal against Manchester City in 2021, is set to embark on his third season at Chelsea.
During his first two years at Stamford Bridge since his switch from Bayer Leverkusen, Havertz has returned 23 goals and 14 assists in 92 appearances in all competitions.
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He has become a fans’ favourite in west London, and is a popular figure among the Chelsea squad, who have become a closer group in recent months.
This has been down to the club being sanctioned due to former owner Roman Abramovich’s ties to the Russian-state, leaving Chelsea’s expenditure restricted.
Months of uncertainty on and off the field ended at the end of May when the club was bought by the consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital for £4.25 billion.
Work has already begun ahead of the 2022/23 season. Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly have been signed, with more arrivals expected, while the board has been changed and appointments have been made, including Tom Glick’s as the club’s new President of Business.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel doesn’t want to use transition as an excuse and wants Chelsea to be ready to compete from day one next season, and Havertz thinks they have a special squad to have a special year.
“It was a crazy time for all of us,” Havertz told The Athletic about the takeover situation between March and May.
“There were a lot of changes in the club, which was strange for all of us, but we came through it.
"We all got to know each other in different or difficult situations, so that everyone is together. It helped us.
“We are a special group. We see that in the changing room away from the pitch and on the pitch. We have a lot of young players who are roughly the same age. We have a lot of experienced players and we all fit together very well. It is hopefully going to be a special year for us.”
Havertz has been trusted by Tuchel to become a regular starter for Chelsea and is hoping to continue repaying the faith with a better season individually next term.
He added: “It is always good for a striker and for me as well (to know that the manager has faith in me).
“I’m still young. I need to get that confidence from the coach. I need his trust, sometimes in the bad times, too. He has always given me that trust in the last couple of years. In every match, I want to repay the trust.
“You always feel the responsibility when you play.
"Hopefully, it is going to be a better year than last year.”
Topics: Kai Havertz, Chelsea
Matthew Debono