Arsenal closing on signing of Kai Havertz; Chelsea hoping to recoup substantial portion of the £75m they paid to sign Germany international from Bayer Leverkusen in 2020; Gunners remain in pursuit of West Ham midfielder Declan Rice with positive talks continuing
Thursday 22 June 2023 14:08, UK
Arsenal are close to reaching an agreement with Chelsea over the signing of Kai Havertz.
It is understood the Gunners will pay Chelsea £65m for the 23-year-old Germany international.
Personal terms are believed to already be in place with Havertz, with just the finer details needed to be completed before the deal is concluded.
Chelsea are understood to be satisfied with the deal as Havertz had made it clear he wanted to leave Stamford Bridge.
It spells the end of a three-year stint at Chelsea for Havertz, who secured his place in the club's history by scoring the goal that won them a second Champions League crown in 2021.
Chelsea signed Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen in 2020 for £75m but were looking to recoup a substantial portion of what they paid after an indifferent campaign at Stamford Bridge.
The proposed transfer to Arsenal generates much-needed funds for the Blues while strengthening and adding versatility to Mikel Arteta's attacking options as the Gunners attempt to build on last season's second-place finish in the Premier League.
How would Havertz be remembered at Chelsea? Which club would be getting the better end of the deal? And what are the qualities that make him so appealing to Arsenal and Mikel Arteta?
Sky Sports' Joe Shread and Nick Wright tackle the Chelsea and Arsenal angles respectively.
Who will be on the move this summer when the transfer window opens on June 14 and closes at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
