Chelsea have been handed a significant boost in the hunt to land Kai Havertz as Bayer Leverkusen have opened the door to the player's departure.
The Blues have placed the Germany international at the top of their wishlist following the captures of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner but a swoop was delayed due to Leverkusen's Europa League involvement.
However, the Bundesliga side's exit from the continental stage means that Frank Lampard's side can now progress with a move - and they've been handed a timely boost.
Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has openly admitted that Havertz has expressed a desire to complete a move away from the club in the summer transfer window.
While he did not directly mention Chelsea, and stated that there are 'several clubs' who wish to include Havertz in their future plans, the Blues are the leading candidates for his services.
“It was always clear that there would be talks as soon as the Europa League ended for us. Kai has expressed a wish to take the next step. Whether this will work in the near future or not, I can’t say at the moment," he told Kolner Stadt-Anzeiger.
Leverkusen are standing firm on their lofty demands for the highly-rated Germany international, with the report stating they are demanding at least €100m for the 21-year-old.
However, Chelsea need to make their first move as it's stated that 'a written offer is yet to be received' and Leverkusen are keen for the saga to end swiftly.
For them, the ideal situation would be for Havertz' exit to be tied-up before their return to pre-season training ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.
