Arsenal has emerged as a formidable contender in the race to secure the signature of Kai Havertz from Chelsea. While Real Madrid has identified the German forward as a potential replacement for Karim Benzema, they might face stiff competition from Mikel Arteta’s side.

Although Havertz’s contract with Chelsea is set to expire in 2025, he has expressed his desire to leave the club this summer. As Chelsea continues to add to their list of attacking transfer targets with the inclusion of Villarreal’s £30m-rated Nicolas Jackson, they are not keen on keeping players whose contracts are nearing expiration. Consequently, they are open to selling Havertz, who joined Stamford Bridge for a hefty £62.5m fee three years ago, and are seeking a transfer fee of around £70m. Follow your favourite Premier League team with attractive betting odds from Nextbet.

Chelsea finds themselves in need of recouping funds after an extensive spending spree of close to £600m on players since the previous summer. In their effort to balance the books, they are prepared to offload Mateo Kovacic to Manchester City and Mason Mount to Manchester United. Additionally, N’Golo Kante is set to make a move to Al-Ittihad on a free transfer.

Since joining Chelsea, Havertz has shown glimpses of his class but has struggled to maintain consistency. While he scored the winning goals in both the 2021 Champions League final and the Club World Cup final last season, the 23-year-old has only managed to find the back of the net 19 times in 91 appearances. Some believe that his lack of consistent performance stems from being deployed as a No. 9 for prolonged periods. Other clubs such as Bayern Munich and Manchester City have also expressed interest in signing Havertz.

By joining Arsenal, who are on the verge of strengthening their midfield with the acquisition of West Ham’s Declan Rice, Havertz could have the opportunity to showcase his creativity and play in a more attacking midfield role. However, it remains uncertain whether Chelsea would be willing to sell to a local rival like Arsenal. Should Real Madrid succeed in securing either Harry Kane from Tottenham or Kylian Mbappé from Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea’s options for selling Havertz might become limited.

While Chelsea’s primary focus lies in offloading players, they are actively pursuing reinforcements in several positions. The club is in search of a new goalkeeper and has expressed interest in Internazionale’s André Onana and Milan’s Mike Maignan. Brighton’s Moisés Caicedo and Celta Vigo’s Gabri Veiga are among their midfield targets, and discussions have taken place regarding a potential move for Southampton’s Roméo Lavia. Arsenal has also shown interest in Lavia.

Furthermore, Chelsea aims to secure the services of a striker, with ambitious targets including Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Inter’s Lautaro Martínez. Additionally, they have shown interest in Nicolas Jackson, who netted 13 goals for Villarreal last season. Bayern Munich and Aston Villa are also monitoring the 21-year-old Senegalese international, who previously failed a medical examination at Bournemouth in January. It is unlikely that Romelu Lukaku will remain at Chelsea following the conclusion of his loan spell at Inter. Get the latest updates from the Premier League only on Nextbet Sports.