Arsenal have made initial contact with Chelsea over signing Kai Havertz as they intend to target Germany after luring Declan Rice to Emirates… but Todd Boehly doesn’t want to leave cheaply
- Arsenal intend to step up pursuit of Kai Havertz after signing Declan Rice
- The Blues are not keen to sell the German international and will demand a hefty fee
- The Gunners will review their budget after confirming the West Ham star’s arrival
Arsenal are interested in pursuing a move for Chelsea star Kai Havertz this summer and will turn their attention to the German after Declan Rice has been lured to the Emirates.
The Gunners, who are set to finalize a deal with the West Ham captain by the end of this week, are preparing for another busy summer of transfer business after making big strides in their pursuit of the Premier League title last season .
Mail Sport understand that Arsenal are keen on Havertz and will try to lure the 24-year-old away from Stamford Bridge after Rice put pen to paper in north London.
Havertz has been a regular on Chelsea’s front line for the past season and Blues co-owner Todd Boehly is not keen on selling the Germany international cheaply.
Arsenal, who are expected to pay a significant transfer fee this summer to sign Havertz, are planning to reassess their budget after berating Rice for an expected fee worth more than £100m.
Arsenal are interested in a summer transfer for Chelsea and German star Kai Havertz
But Blues co-owner Todd Boehly has no intention of parting cheaply with the Germany international
Mikel Arteta’s side led the Premier League for most of last season and came closest to rival Treble winners Manchester City, five points behind the champions.
Emirates leaders intend to close the gap to City by also bringing in a central defender, although this position is not seen as a priority.
During the second half of last season, Arsenal had to adapt for three months without star striker Gabriel Jesus, who was The Gunners’ big signing in 2022.
Havertz has shown he can play both as an attacking midfielder and as a lone striker at Chelsea, and his positional versatility could prove useful at the Emirates next season.
The German star scored nine goals in 47 appearances in all competitions last season as Chelsea struggled under interim boss Frank Lampard and former head coaches Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.
The Blues ended their miserable campaign in 12th and finished the Premier League season with four straight games without a win.
Mikel Arteta is preparing for another busy summer full of transfer activities after a promising season
Chelsea were initially in the running to sign Rice from West Ham, who won the Europa Conference League last week, but have since accepted that they will miss the former Blues Academy graduate after a disappointing campaign.
Manchester United were also interested in the England midfielder and at one point the league leaders appeared to be signing him, but it appears Arsenal are in the process of finalizing a deal.
Meanwhile, Rice’s close friend and compatriot Mason will leave Mount Stamford Bridge this summer after failing to agree an extension with the Blues.
Liverpool are said to have dropped out of the race to sign Mount this week due to Chelsea’s hefty £80m asking price, showing how keen Boehly is to keep his high-profile stars in West London.
Meanwhile, Inter will have to move permanently to sign Romelu Lukaku or Kalidou Koulibaly.
Inter Milan will have to move Romelu Lukaku permanently if they want to keep him
The Italians are keen on both Chelsea players, along with defender Trevoh Chalobah.
Mail Sport understands that Inter have already been informed that Chalobah is not available for a first loan deal and that the Londoners have no interest in signing Champions League number two striker Lukaku or defender Koulibaly on a temporary basis.
Lukaku spent last season on loan at Inter, while Chelsea are open to sacking Koulibaly after just one year at Stamford Bridge following his move from Napoli last summer.
Inter’s interest in the Chelsea players comes as the former have the Serie A side’s Andre Onana as one of their main goalkeeper goals.
AC Milan’s Mike Maignan has also been eyed, although Chelsea’s lack of European football is thought to be an obstacle.
Brighton’s Robert Sanchez, who was mentored as a Premier League goalkeeper by Chelsea coach Ben Roberts, and Valencia’s Giorgi Mamardashvili are two others also being considered.
Resolving the futures of their two senior goalkeepers Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy is a priority for Chelsea and whether they find a taker will affect their plans for the position, with the prospect of new head coach Mauricio Pochettino starting the season with the Spaniard not ruled out .