Thomas Tuchel has discussed the development of Kai Havertz at Chelsea, following the forward’s winning goal in the Club World Cup final.
Havertz signed for Chelsea in a then club record £72m deal from Bayer Leverkusen in 2020, with the 22-year-old regarded as one of Germany’s brightest talents.
Havertz has shown flashes of his potential during his first 18 months in English football, whilst he has developed a habit of scoring crucial goals with his Club World Cup winner against Palmeiras coming after scoring the decisive goal in the 2021 Champions League final.
Tuchel believes there remains more to come from his compatriot in terms of goals, but has been pleased with Havertz’s all-round contribution to the Chelsea side.
“If we isolate the goal scoring, then yeah we expect more and he expects more, but the consistency in what he is given to the team, he has stepped up and pretty consistent,” Tuchel told his pre-match press conference ahead of the club’s trip to Crystal Palace.
“We can see a lot of intensity in his game and physicality. He has stepped that up this season in training, when he plays.
“He relies more on his strength which body which are runs without the ball. He is focusing on this which is a good thing.
“He is in the process of being more reliable and consistent.
“He has stepped up twice in big matches, in big moments, and this can only be good for his development.”
