Sunday World journalist Kevin Palmer believes Chelsea are now very close to agreeing a deal to sign Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Kai Havertz.
There had been claims that the two sides had still not come to an agreement over a transfer fee, but Palmer says that the only obstacle now is how the payment will be structured:
Chelsea are in the ‘final stages’ of negotiations over a deal for Kai Havertz. Discussions are focusing on the structure of performance related payments.
It seems like this is a deal edging towards to a conclusion #CFC pic.twitter.com/HoTQ8B5F4m
— Kevin Palmer (@RealKevinPalmer) August 17, 2020
Leverkusen have always valued Havertz at €100m (£90m) and it is not clear from Palmer’s tweet whether Chelsea have agreed to pay that figure, but it does appear that this transfer saga is now close to reaching its conclusion.
Performance-related add-ons can be quite tricky to negotiate, as Leverkusen will want them to be as realistic as possible (i.e qualifying for the Champions League or winning certain cup competitions), while Chelsea will attempt to make them slightly less realistic in order to reduce the chances of having to pay them. All things considered, though, it seems Havertz’s move to Stamford Bridge is getting closer.