He might be Chelsea's top goal scorer this season but there is still a wide feeling that Kai Havertz has underperformed this term. He would probably the first to tell you just that.
The German has scored nine goals for the Blues in all competitions – with seven of them coming in the Premier League and the other two in the Champions League. Havertz admitted back in the summer that producing higher levels of consistency is something he is working on adding to his game, but that hasn't been the case throughout the season.
"Consistency in football is big," Havertz said in July 2022. "We play every three days and have to always keep the level high.
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"It's normal that for one game, you drop the level. It's not possible to score five goals in every game. Consistency is big and I try to work on that."
In recent matches, the last four to be precise where he has scored in three of them, we have seen the level Havertz can play at. That's the frustrating thing. He's so technically gifted, it's ridiculous. The way he can trap a ball is effortless.
When he can put all of his attributes in his game together, then you can completely understand why the likes of Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter have trusted him to be the central striker in their respective systems. When the German is up for it, he does also have a physicality to him as well and he can prove to be an annoying nuisance for opposition centre-backs.
However, the major issue with Havertz is his consistency levels and getting himself to the best possible version of himself on the pitch often enough. If he could do that, then we would be looking at someone who could genuinely be close to the 20-goal mark in the Premier League – that's how good he could be.
If you look back at that performance against Borussia Dortmund earlier in the month, it seems genuinely unfeasible that he will not go on to become one of the best in his position over the next five years or so. He's still only 23 years old, which is sometimes forgotten.
Havertz's contract situation provides a bit of a dilemma for Chelsea, though, with just over two years remaining on his current deal. The new ownership group are using two years left on a contract as a mark to decide whether or not they stay at the club rather than losing value on a player in the final months of their deal.
The Germany international will have no shortage of clubs after him. There could be a queue as long as the eye can see; that's how good he is. Real Madrid are said to be one of them keeping a close eye on Havertz's situation and of course when a club of the stature of Los Blancos come calling it can often be too difficult to refuse. See Eden Hazard in 2019 if you needed – you didn't – any reminding.
Chelsea are looking at bolstering their attacking options ahead of the 2023 summer transfer window. A more traditional No.9 is set to be on the agenda with the Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang experiment not working. This could put Havertz's position at risk depending on who the club eventually sign.
One of the German's greatest strengths is that he can play virtually anywhere across the front line. His versatility is such an asset and it has served Chelsea very well since he moved from Bayer Leverkusen in 2020 for just over £70million.
There needs to, however, be a time when Havertz defines exactly what he is at Stamford Bridge. Nobody really knows where his best position is. He himself couldn't give a clear answer when asked about his preferred position was in October 2022.
"Everyone asks this question and after three years, everyone should know by now what I can do – that I am flexible up front and I can play a lot of different positions," the German said. "Of course, sometimes it's good to play in different positions and sometimes it's bad, but in general I'm an offensive player.
"I like to be in the box, I like to score goals, I like to arrive in the box often and I don't care if I'm there as a No.9 or as a No.10. If I'm in the box, I'm there to score goals – and that's it."
More recently, Havertz has been playing off the striker with the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk and Raheem Sterling being asked by Potter to play in the No.9. That has worked well for Havertz, who has been allowed more space to roam off the ball and find gaps between the midfield and defence to pick up possession and create.
It's a situation Chelsea really need to sort out one way or another because for all of Havertz's flaws, his talent is ridiculous. Consistency is an issue but it's something that can change and Real Madrid will have no problem splashing the cash, taking the risk and potentially sign a future world beater.
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