Bayern Munich have pulled out of the race to land starlet Kai Havertz, as the German champions are not prepared to match Bayer Leverkusen's valuation of their much-fancied talisman in the current financial climate.
The Bavarian giants are known for their tendency to hoover up the most prestigious talents in the Bundesliga, and many expected them to make a move for the Leverkusen star this summer.
But Bild reports that the club have given up on securing Havertz's services at the end of the season, as the financial implications of the coronavirus outbreak have begun to take their toll.
It is believed that Manchester City winger Leroy Sané remains their top transfer target for the summer window, and that hefty expenditure would put Havertz's €100m price tag out of their reach.
But Bayern are not ruling out a future move for the German international and they would be willing to table an offer next summer, should he decide to remain with his current side for another season.
This will come as a huge boost for some of the Premier League's top clubs, who are all tracking the midfielder's current situation with interest. Chelsea have been strongly linked with a move for the wonderkid, as they look to add to the already confirmed acquisition of Hakim Ziyech, and the expected signing of Timo Werner.
We have some Hakim Ziyech news… ?
— Chelsea FC (at ?) (@ChelseaFC) February 13, 2020
And judging by Leverkusen's stance in this saga, It appears that Havertz's time there is up, after managing director Fernando Carro admitted that 'many clubs are interested' in the superstar, and 'the player's wish is to take the next step' in his promising career.
"With Kai Havertz, I see that many clubs are interested in him," said Carro.
“Kai has been with us for ten years. I see the player's wish is to take the next step sometime in the near future.
”You have to respect that just as much as the fact that he has a contract with Leverkusen until 2022.
“You have to try to find a solution where the player's goal can be reconciled with ours. At the moment nobody can say for sure what will happen.”
Source : 90min