Chelsea striker Kai Havertz has admitted that he has struggled to meet the high expectations of the fans which came as a result of the huge price tag that was paid to bring him the Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea paid Bayern Leverkusen £72m for Harvertz from Bayer Leverkusen in 2020, but the 23-year-old struggled with consistency in his first years in England.
“I was Chelsea’s most expensive player,” Havertz while speaking to the Guardian said of the money spent on him.
“I don’t understand how so much money is paid but it is normal in football: look at our recent transfers. That brings pressure because people think you are Messi. I was still 20, 21. People don’t see that; they see the price so you have to be great from day one. You feel the pressure. The first few months weren’t good.”
The German seems to have adapted, and he’s notched some crucial goals for the club including his first Champions League goal that earned the Blues their second European crown in 2021 when they beat Manchester City 1-0 in an all-English club final that was played at the Estádio do Dragão in Portugal.
In that final, Havertz became the first player to score a first Champions League goal in the final since 2013 when Ilkay Gundogan did so.
He also scored another decisive goal early this month that booked his side a Champions League quarter final date with reigning champions Real Madrid.
The former Bayer Leverkusen striker has so-far netted nine times in 36 appearances for the Blues.
On his new teammates and the atmosphere in the squad, Havertz said:
“We’ve got a new team , a new manager,new faces. It’s a completely new dressing room with a lot of personalities. You’ve got to adapt, create a relationship.”
Havertz admitted enduring a difficult time, saying he was not himself for months before ending his two-month goal drought with a strike in Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Leicester in mid March.
