Chelsea forward Kai Havertz has claimed it is challenging to ignore the pressure that comes with a big money transfer.
In 2020, the £72m transfer of the 23-year-old from Bayer Leverkusen to the Blues set a new record for the Premier League side.
Havertz has scored 32 goals in 128 appearances, including the game-winning goal in the 2021 Champions League final, but he recently talked about what it means to be a player with a high price tag.
“I was Chelsea’s most expensive player,” he told The Guardian. “I don’t understand how so much money is paid but it is normal in football: look at our recent transfers.
“That brings pressure because people think you are [Lionel] Messi.
“I was still 20, 21. People don’t see that; they see the price so you have to be great from day one. You can feel it, the tension. You read it, hear it.”
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He has since been eclipsed by Enzo Fernandez as Chelsea’s costliest player, following the midfielder’s arrival in January for £106m.
Havertz has scored nine goals in all competitions so far this campaign, looking to reach double figures when Chelsea return to action this weekend.
The forward played for Germany against Peru during the international break. However, he was absent as his nation lost 3-2 in a friendly to Belgium following an illness.
He is expected to be fit though as Potter’s side go up against Aston Villa over the weekend.
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