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Chelsea succumbed to a 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Saturday (April 1) in the Premier League. The result piles further pressure on Graham Potter, who has seen his team struggle for consistency this season.
Meanwhile, Kai Havertz has been backed to move to Bayern Munich this summer. Elsewhere, West Ham United are interested in Hakim Ziyech. On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on April 2, 2023:
Kai Havertz backed to join Bayern Munich
Journalist Simon Phillips reckons there’s a good chance that Kai Havertz could join his former manager Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich this summer.
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The 23-year-old has blown hot and cold during his time at Chelsea but played some of his best football under Tuchel. With the German manager recently taking charge at the Allianz Arena, Havertz could be tempted to return to the Bundesliga at the end of the season.
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Phillip said that Tuchel is focussed on the season right now and is not planning for the summer.
“I know Tuchel liked working with Havertz and vice versa. The pair already have a good relationship. Right now, I'm told Tuchel is concentrating on the season ahead of him, and he's not looking at any potential players for the summer. That's a conversation they will have further down the line,” said Phillips.
He added:
“But in terms of Chelsea players (joining Tuchel), I think Kai Havertz would be the one to watch going to Bayern Munich.”
Havertz has appeared 37 times across competitions for the Blues this season, registering nine goals and an assist.
West Ham United want Hakim Ziyech
West Ham United are interested in Hakim Ziyech, according to Jeunes Footeux via Caught Offside.
The Moroccan winger is an isolated figure at Chelsea right now and is expected to leave at the end of the season. The 30-year-old has not been in his element since arriving at Stamford Bridge from Ajax in 2020, failing to cement a place in the starting XI.
His situation hasn’t changed since the arrival of Graham Potter. Ziyech was close to leaving the club in January, but a loan move to Paris Saint-Germain failed at the eleventh hour. The Moroccan has made just 19 appearances across competitions for the Blues this season and is not part of the club's future plans.
The Hammers are hoping to pick him up this summer, but the 30-year-old also has admirers at Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham. Ziyech is reportedly in touch with the Parisians too, so he will not be short of options at the end of the season.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink urges Chelsea to be patient with Graham Potter
Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has advised the club to be patient with Graham Potter. The English manager suffered another setback on Saturday against Aston Villa, picking up his 11th defeat in 31 games since taking charge at Stamford Bridge.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Hasselbaink stressed that Potter is the ideal man for his former side but admitted that football is a result-oriented business.
“Mudryk is not the finished article; he has potential. He has cost a lot of money but has had just a few months in this country. He needs to work on it and needs the time. He is a young player. You have made a decision to buy young players, but you have to give them time to make mistakes. They won't be best thing,” said Hasselbaink.
He added:
"Potter is the man you wanted. You have to stick with him because you are going that way. If you keep on losing, you know how it works, though - rightly or wrongly. It is a results business.”
Hasselbaink added that the London giants have suffered due to their struggles in front of goal.
“In the first half, they looked really sharp, but it is about scoring goals. For Chelsea, it is very difficult to score goals. It is a problem in the final third; Chelsea don't get enough people in the box," said Hasselbaink.
He continued:
"It is not good enough; you need to flood the box. It is a tough one to take for Potter, trying to stay brave and give positiveness to players. But when creating that many chances, it is hard to take."
The Blues have failed to score in and lost four league home games this season. They have only done so on two other occasions since the inception of the Premier League – in the 1994-95 season and the 2019-20 campaign.
