Leverkusen director Voller insists no Chelsea discount for ‘exceptional’ Havertz

Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller insists they will not be letting Kai Havertz leave for a discounted price this summer.

Havertz has been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea, who have already strengthened their squad with the signings of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech, and look set to add Ben Chilwell as well.

However, their hopes of signing Havertz for a cheaper price have decreased, with Voller insisting that Leverkusen are holding firm in their valuation of the player.

Many transfer fees may reduce this summer due to the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, but Voller claims that players of Havertz’s stature will not be affected – meaning Chelsea will have to pay out in full.

“In times of Corona it may actually be that the transfer fees have decreased for many players,” Voller told Sportbuzzer.

“But Corona or Corona – this is not the case with exceptional players like Havertz or Jadon Sancho. There’s no Corona discount for them.

“Of course we would be very happy if he stayed for another year. It is clear that the departure of such a player, despite the high transfer fee, always means a loss – see Leipzig and Werner.”

Recent reports suggested that Chelsea would be happy to spend big on Havertz, in addition to moves for Chilwell and Declan Rice.

Leverkusen’s valuation of Havertz could take up a significant portion of their budget, as the Bundesliga side rate him in the £90m bracket. However, it is believed that the German international is eager to move to Stamford Bridge.