Chelsea resume talks with Real Madrid as they eye a swift transfer - Reports
Chelsea and Real Madrid have resumed talks over the transfer of Kai Havertz to Santiago Bernabeu, according to Spanish outlet El Nacional.
Los Blancos have confirmed that Karim Benzema, Eden Hazard, Marco Asensio, and Mariano Diaz will leave the club at the end of the month. The exits of the said players will leave a gaping hole in the club's attack, with Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo being the only remaining senior forwards.
Hence, Real Madrid are looking to bolster their options in attack ahead of the 2022-23 season.
According to the aforementioned source, the La Liga giants have identified Chelsea star Havertz as the ideal replacement for Asensio. German daily BILD recently claimed that talks over the attacker's signing are progressing at a rapid pace.
However, Los Blancos have since had to halt their efforts to sign Havertz following Benzema's sudden exit earlier this week. As per El Nacional, Florentino Perez has shifted his attention towards finding a replacement for the Frenchman.
The Athletic recently reported that Carlo Ancelotti has asked Real Madrid to sign Harry Kane. The Madrid-based club are aware of the difficulties involved in convincing Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy to sell the striker.
Ancelotti's side, meanwhile, still want to bring in Havertz as a replacement for Asensio if the aforementioned report is to be believed. They are said to have resumed talks with Chelsea over a deal for the German.
Real Madrid are reportedly willing to offer the Blues an initial sum of €40 million for Havertz, with the total package reaching as much as €60 million. The London giants, though, want to recoup most of the €85 million they paid Bayer Leverkusen for the attacker in 2020. It remains to be seen if the clubs can reach a compromise over the fees.
Real Madrid could face competition from Arsenal for Chelsea's Kai Havertz
Kai Havertz has had a mixed stint at Chelsea since joining them from Bayer Leverkusen for an astronomical fee in 2020. The German had a particularly underwhelming 2022-23 season, scoring just nine times in 47 games across competitions.
Hence, there are suggestions that the Germany international is prepared to leave the Blues this summer. He is reportedly open to moving to Santiago Bernabeu and testing himself in La Liga.
Arsenal, meanwhile have emerged as a potential destination for the former Leverkusen attacker. The Gunners are interested in signing the 23-year-old, according to Alex Goldberg. However, they are yet to initiate contact with Chelsea to discuss a transfer.
The north London giants have a history of signing players from the Stamford Bridge outfit. David Luiz, Willian and Petr Cech have all joined Arsenal from the Blues in recent years and Havertz could be the latest in line to make the switch.