Kai Havertz finally scored for Chelsea in his third outing for the Premier League giants and the German certainly impressed. The Blues routed Barnsley in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday and of the six goals cleared by the winning team during the match, three came from the 21-year-old midfielder. The game starts for the rising star.
Havertz was silent during the first two Premier League games of Chelsea, and many wondered if the £73 million signing was worth the money paid for. And the attacker proved the doubters wrong by banging in three goals in a match that certainly marked the young player's arrival in England.
Blues boss Frank Lampard brought in the fresh recruit with the firm belief that Havertz will either replicate or even exceed the sensational run he had in the last two seasons playing for Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen. The Germany international found the goal 38 times during the stretch and consequently attracted the attention of European elites, among them Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
But the youngster opted to continue his exploding career at Stamford Bridge and there is little doubt now he will continue to play at high-level. Sports Illustrated said the hat-trick and the manner Chelsea scored the latest win will certainly boost Havertz's confidence, which is something he could use in the ongoing campaign.
And it came as no surprise that Lampard is beyond ecstatic. The boss said there will be more of the new Chelsea star in the matches to come.
"I am delighted with Kai ... It was everything I wanted from him, he had no preseason. It was a great night for Kai and it is the first of many for him," the manager was reported as saying.
Havertz switching sides this summer was not without drama. It took months for Lampard to complete the transfer deal and before the actual signing, it seemed for a while that the deal would be shelved. But the jump went over the line with a little help from Havertz's friends.
Timo Werner joined up with Chelsea from RB Leipzig in June and he admitted that he played a part in convincing his Germany teammate to leave Bundesliga for the Premier League.
"When I found out from the media that Chelsea were in for him ... I immediately made the idea of a change palatable to him ... I was able to tell Kai what kind of plan the manager had for both of us if he decided to join," Metro reported the German striker as saying.
Werner further revealed it helped a lot that fellow German Antonio Rudiger is also in the Chelsea roster. The two players, it turned out, did just the right amount of convincing that made it easier for Havertz to bring his game to the Premier League.
