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Chelsea could decide to stump up the cash and buy Kai Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen in order to prevent him from signing for Liverpool further down the line. That's the opinion of European football expert Andy Gressell, who thinks the German ace would be a perfect long-term replacement for Roberto Firmino.
Chelsea transfer news: Blues tipped to buy Kai Havertz to keep him from Liverpool (Image: PA)
They have forked out £37.5m for Hakim Ziyech, and will reportedly pay £53m for Timo Werner, while Ben Chilwell will likely set them back £80m if they move for the defender.
However, Gressell believes Havertz would be a perfect signing for Chelsea to make due to his attacking prowess and versatility.
Speaking to Premier League Productions, Gressell also claimed that the Blues could opt to make a move now to prevent Liverpool from signing him in the future.
He explained that Havertz would be the ideal replacement for Firmino in the long-term because he can play as a centre-forward despite not being built for the role.
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"I think it's a strong possibility," Gressell said of Havertz making the switch.
"If you look at his pallete, I think that's what makes him so attractive to Premier League clubs.
"He's got that extra sparkle in terms of his last pass, he can score goals, and he can do this other stuff that other playmakers can't do like score headers from the penalty spot, be big and physical and put off attention from defenders.
"It's been interesting that Leverkusen have used him as a centre-forward recently, he was built as a false nine at first, but of course he isn't a false nine, he's six-foot plus and can win headers which is something special. To have those two elements will make him a huge hit in the Premier League.
"It's a similar situation to Jadon Sancho and Dortmund. If you look back a few months you'd think he's definitely going to go, but now Leverkusen aren't going to take a discount on him, they can only sell him once.
"I can see why Chelsea are interested, they can use him in a few different positions, he'd link in well with Werner, and also they'd want to keep him away from Liverpool's clutches.
"He's the sort of player who will in time, because he's got experience playing as a centre-forward when he isn't really a centre-forward, he can be a successor to Roberto Firmino."