Kai Havertz will be offered the chance to return to the Bundesliga if he wants to leave Arsenal in the future, Bayern Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes confirms.
Havertz made a return to Germany on Wednesday night as Arsenal secured a 1-1 draw against Bayern Leverkusen in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.
The Germany international came off the bench to score a late equalizer via the penalty spot.
Despite his goal ensuring Leverkusen have a lot to do in the second leg, Havertz seems to have work his way into the Bundesliga side fans and sporting director heart.
Kai Havertz during his playing days at Bayer Leverkusen (Photo by Martin Meissner/Pool via Getty Images)
B04 sporting director Simon Rolfes was asked about a possible Havertz comeback in the future and replied: “With Kai, there’s always the danger that I’ll weaken. He knows that too.”
For several years now, Werkself has had a rule that specially trained players who became stars in Leverkusen and later joined a top European club should not be brought back, as they would only be of limited help to the club in the autumn of their careers.
In Havertz’s case, however, Rolfes emphasised that he would be willing to break with this policy if an opportunity arose in the future: “Whenever we talk, I start digging,” said Leverkusen’s sporting director.
Havertz represented Leverkusen for ten years. Across all competitions, he made 150 competitive appearances for B04, scoring 46 goals and providing 31 assists.
In the summer of 2020, he finally joined Chelsea FC for a transfer fee of just under €100 million, before moving on to city rivals Arsenal in 2023.
Havertz is still a fan favourite at Leverkusen, with almost the entire BayArena giving him a standing ovation when he came on in the second half.
According to information from Sport1, the 26-year-old is said to have stayed in the Leverkusen dressing room for a long time after the match. There, he apparently spoke at length with players and officials before an Arsenal coach picked him up so that the Gunners could begin their journey home.
