The Germany youngster is attracting the attention of European football’s heavyweights, but his lifting ability doesn’t quite match up
Kai Havertz may be one of the biggest prospects in German football right now but, according to Bayer Leverkusen team-mate Jonathan Tah, he isn’t such a prodigious talent in the gym.
The 20-year-old attacking midfielder’s lanky figure has attracted the attention of some of the world’s biggest clubs with Manchester United, Liverpool and Bayern Munich among a host of clubs linked with a big-money move.
Team-mates for club and country, Tah and Havertz know each other well – but if the pair were ever to arm wrestle, the defender would seemingly fancy his chances.
“So, the one who never wants to do weight training or anything like that is Kai Havertz,” Tah told DAZN and Goal.
“It’s always funny when we all go into the weight room. He just wants to have the ball at his feet. He doesn’t want to do strength training.
“He just really loves having the ball at his feet. He doesn’t like strength training, and I get that, but maybe he’d be a bit more built if he did.”
Tah is four years Havertz’ senior, and has enjoyed seeing such a prodigious talent emerge over the past four seasons since breaking into the Leverkusen first team.
He registered 20 goals and seven assists in all competitions for his club last season and, while his form has dipped at times in the current campaign, he has added 10 more goals and eight assists to his record.
As with any young star in the Bundesliga, Havertz has been linked with Bayern Munich. Back in November, he acknowledged Bayern’s pulling power but suggested he was considering a move abroad.
“They’re probably the biggest club in Germany and there are many players that were very successful at a young age that went there,” he told Marca. “Therefore, I get linked with Bayern, but we’ll see what happens.
“There are players that want to stay close to their family and others that say, ‘I want to live in another country’. One thing is clear: if you want to be a star in Germany, you can’t go wrong with Bayern.”
Leverkusen boss Peter Bosz recently said Havertz would cost more than €100 million (£90m/$111m) to buy, though transfer prices are now expected to drop after the coronavirus crisis.
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