Arsenal secure £65m deal with Chelsea for German forward Kai Havertz

Arsenal and Chelsea have reached an agreement in principle on a transfer deal worth around £65m for German forward Kai Havertz. The agreement paves the way for Havertz to enter into negotiations regarding personal terms and undergo a medical examination at Arsenal.

Last season, Havertz, who is 24 years old, scored a total of nine goals in 47 appearances for Chelsea. His transfer fee could potentially increase due to additional performance-based add-ons. In 2020, Chelsea acquired Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal valued at approximately £71m. Notably, Havertz made a significant impact by scoring the winning goal for Chelsea in the 2021 Champions League final against Manchester City.

With Arsenal having secured a spot in the Champions League, manager Mikel Arteta is keen on reinforcing the team. Havertz's impending move to Arsenal is part of this effort. Additionally, Arsenal is actively pursuing the acquisition of Declan Rice, the West Ham captain and England midfielder. However, their initial bid of up to £90m for Rice was rejected on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Chelsea aims to trim down their squad and have also agreed on a £30m deal with Manchester City for Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic, aged 29. Another midfielder, N'Golo Kante, a 32-year-old France international, has agreed to join Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ittihad once his contract expires at the end of June.

The new ownership at Chelsea is determined to avoid allowing players to enter the final two years of their contracts. Havertz, whose current contract runs until 2025, has not yet agreed to an extension with the club.