Few transfer sagas have quite captured the imagination of Chelsea fans like the chase for Kai Havertz in the summer of 2020.
From a single hint of the club's interest in the Bayer Leverkusen star that spiralled into some of Chelsea's most high-profile negotiations, it was the summer of Kai.
A deal that spanned over 12 months with Marina Granovskaia trying to secure a generational talent, ended in the smiling face of Antonio Rudiger gazing at his watch before looking up to his phone camera and saying: "Come on guys, surely it's time to announce Havertz, no?"
Then came the fancy announcement video of Havertz in all of Nike's finest Chelsea attire accompanied with a gleaming statement from Granovskaia.
“Kai is one of the best players of his age in world football, so we are very happy that his future lies at Chelsea.
"He has proven pedigree in one of the best leagues in Europe, he plays for the German national side and he is an exciting, dynamic talent.”
Not since Eden Hazard's signing from Lille in 2012 did Chelsea fans feel they had grabbed one of Europe's hottest talents away from their rivals. This was a statement to the Premier League and beyond, a long-term investment on a player who was on course to become one of the world's best.
Even if his maiden year at Stamford Bridge was marred by COVID-19, injury and the upheaval of a mid-season sacking, netting the winning goal in a Champions League final has ensured Havertz will be woven into the club's folklore forever.
The hope was that the iconic winner would take a lot of the pressure off his shoulders and he could embark on a smoother second year in west London. Although a second positive COVID test meant he missed three games during December, he has remained available for most of the season so far.
But it is not unfair to suggest the player Chelsea fans laud as the "best on earth" to the tune of Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" has been highly underwhelming.
His pretty tame and reserved performance in the Club World Cup semi-final pretty much encapsulated most of the 22-year-old's level this season. On the periphery, tame and forgettable. Part of what made Havertz so devastating at the back end of last season for Tuchel was his deceptive speed drifting between defenders.
His laid-back demeanour can provoke claims he does not care but that drifting can sometimes be the way he lures opponents into a false sense of security. Look at his overall movement in the build-up to his winning goal in Porto last May.
But when laid bare, the numbers do not reflect a highly influential player worth £71m. Five goals in all competitions from 27 appearances break down to only two in the Premier League, only one better than his compatriot Timo Werner. Two in the Carabao Cup and one against Malmo in the Champions League.
He has slightly underperformed his xG of 5.47 via WyScout with a low xA of 0.05.
Havertz has also recently fallen out of favour in team selections. His last Premier League start came against Liverpool at the beginning of January in place of Romelu Lukaku. But since then he's remained a fringe figure, not playing any part in the defeat away at Manchester City or the home win against Spurs.
His start against Al-Hilal was the first time he's completed a full 90 minutes since mid-December at home to Leeds.
If Havertz's lack of tangible output continues, it could lead him down a similar path to that of a former German star who failed to live up to the hype of his original signing.
Mesut Ozil was earmarked as a transformative figure for Arsene Wenger's Arsenal in August 2013 when his deadline-day arrival from Real Madrid shocked the footballing world.
But apart from one highly creative season in 2015/16, Ozil would mostly flatter to deceive, easily bossed out of big away games and was eventually isolated from first-team matters. There was an arrogance to some defenders of Ozil, a pseudo-intellectual tone that accused his critics of not being smart enough to appreciate what he does.
As much as social media may give this impression, football supporters who pay to go and watch their teams grasp football and cannot be hoodwinked for long. Players with the talents of Ozil and Havertz are brought in to define games, change the course of seasons and lift their teammates to greater heights.
Chelsea fans and Granovskaia probably both share a similar fear of giving up on Havertz too early. I do not even need to utter his name for you to gauge what player I'm referring to that looms over the club's transfer business.
But that cannot lead Havertz into a sense of security and protection from criticism. Mason Mount, the player some thought would be hurt by the German's signing has gone to new levels since that infamous summer of 2020.
The influence both players have over Chelsea's overall play is incomparable. Mount was the one whose precise pass played Havertz in during that final, the two have shown good chemistry on the pitch together but Havertz still has a way to go to reach Mount's importance.
There are undeniable variables that have probably hurt him this season.
The £97m signing of Romelu Lukaku completely halted his place as Chelsea's main centre forward dead in its track. It is a move that has yet to fully bring the attacking transformation we all hoped it would. And so Havertz has mostly had to contend with playing behind Lukaku as an inverted winger.
Havertz's run and cross did lead to the Belgian's winning goal against Al-Hilal and four of Lukaku's nine goals this term have come with Havertz on the pitch.
However, the creeping doubt over how Tuchel can fully integrate Havertz into his attacking lineup remains a mystery.
The constant chopping and changing in Chelsea's attack has not helped any sense of rhythm but Havertz cannot proclaim to be a player deserving of more opportunities when so many games have easily passed him by.
His overall energy is more suited to the counter-pressing game Tuchel wants to play but just winning the ball back is only half the job; it is what you do with it that makes the difference.
Havertz cannot drift for much longer, even if he feels in a protected class due to the hype that surrounds him.
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