Chelsea issue Kai Havertz contract ultimatum?

Chelsea have reportedly issued Kai Havertz with a contract ultimatum ahead of the summer transfer window.

The Germany international signed a five-year deal when he joined Chelsea from Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2020.

Havertz, who scored the winning goal in the 2021 Champions League final, is set to enter the final two years of his contract with the West London club.

Since taking over the club last summer, co-owner Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have been reluctant to let players enter the latter stages of their contracts.

The Chelsea owners want to avoid situations like last year when Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger left on free transfers, and they are also keen to protect the transfer value of their key players.

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The Blues hierarchy are keen to tie down Havertz to a new long-term deal, and they have now issued the Germany international with an ultimatum.

According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea have told the forward that he must extend his stay with the club or they will consider sanctioning a sale.

Havertz has emerged as a potential target for Spanish giants Real Madrid, who are looking to replace Karim Benzema this summer.

Benzema recently announced that he will leave the club when his contract expires this month, and he is widely expected to join Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad.

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A recent report claimed that Chelsea will allow Havertz to leave this summer if they receive a bid in the region of £52m.

Havertz made 47 appearances during the 2022-23 campaign, scoring nine goals to end the season as Chelsea's joint-top scorer alongside Raheem Sterling.

In total, the attacker has featured in 147 games for Chelsea across all competitions, scoring 32 goals and providing 15 assists.

The German is not the only player that faces an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge, with the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount heading towards the exit door.