Kai Havertz

Kai Lukas Havertz (born 11 June 1999) is a German professional footballer who plays as a forward or attacking midfielder for Premier League club Arsenal and the Germany national team.

Having graduated from Bayer Leverkusen's youth academy in 2016, Havertz made his senior debut with the club in the same year. Upon his debut, Havertz became the club's youngest-ever debutant in the Bundesliga, and he became their youngest-ever goalscorer when he scored his first goal the following year. Havertz holds the record for being the youngest player to reach 50 and 100 league appearances in the German top flight.

Havertz's performances sparked the interest of several European clubs, with Chelsea signing him in 2020 for a transfer worth €73.4 million (£62 million), making him Chelsea's second-most expensive signing at the time. With Chelsea, Havertz won the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League, 2021 UEFA Super Cup, and the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup, scoring the winning goals in the Champions League and Club World Cup finals. In June 2023, he joined fellow London side Arsenal for a reported fee of £65 million.

After appearing for Germany at various youth levels, Havertz made his senior international debut in September 2018, becoming the first player born in 1999 to represent the national team. He represented Germany at two editions of the UEFA European Championships (2020 and 2024), as well as the 2022 FIFA World Cup, scoring two goals in each tournament he has played in.

Early life

Kai Lukas Havertz was born on 11 June 1999 in Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia. He grew up in Mariadorf, a district of Alsdorf. Later, the family moved to Aachen. His father Ralf is a policeman and his mother Anne is a lawyer.