"Hopefully, it is going to be a better year than last year" - Chelsea star says he's willing to take more responsibility this season 

Chelsea forward Kai Havertz recently spoke about his goals for the upcoming season and stated that he wants to 'repay' Thomas Tuchel for the trust the Blues boss has shown in him.

The German attacker is set to become the Blues' undisputed first-choice striker next season thanks to the departure of Romelu Lukaku earlier this month. The Belgian rejoined Inter Milan on a season-long loan deal.

Havertz joined Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen in 2020 in a deal worth £62 million. He endured a difficult debut campaign with the club as he struggled to cope with the speed and physicality of the English game.

The 23-year-old endured a slow start to last season. However, he became Chelsea's first-choice striker during the second half of the campaign after Lukaku suffered from a slump in form and fell out of favor with Tuchel.

The former Bayer Leverkusen star helped his side reach the finals of the FA Cup and EFL Cup, and a third-place finish in the Premier League table. He ended the season with 14 goals in 47 games in all competitions.

The forward has revealed that he's willing to take more responsibility next season. Havertz said as per Football.london:

"Of course, I want to play. It was also the case last year. If you are playing and on the pitch, you always have to take the responsibility. I will definitely try to play as much as I can this season. Hopefully, it is going to be a better year than last year. It is always good for a striker [to have a show of faith from the head coach]."

"I'm still young, I need to get that confidence from the coach, I need the trust, sometimes in the bad times too. He has always given that trust to me in the last couple of years. Hopefully, it will also be the case this season. In every match, I want to repay the trust back."

Kai Havertz will face competition from fellow German Timo Werner for a place in Thomas Tuhel's starting line-up.

Werner has endured a difficult time at Stamford Bridge since joining the club from RB Leipzig in 2020. He enjoyed a mini resurgence towards the end of last season as he scored three goals in his last six Premier League games.

Raheem Sterling has also joined the Blues in the summer window but the Englishman is far from a traditional number nine. The former Manchester City star is more likely to play along with Havertz rather than in his place.

Chelsea are likely to keep hold of Armando Broja this summer

Manchester United v Southampton - Premier League

Albanian striker Armando Broja spent last season on loan with Southampton, where he caught the attention of a number of clubs thanks to his impressive performances. He scored nine goals in 38 appearances in all competitions for the Saints.

As per The Guardian, West Ham are interested in signing the 20-year-old this summer. David Moyes' side will be keen to bolster his squad as they prepare for next season's Europa Conference League. The Hammers currently lack adequate cover and competition for Michail Antonio.

Chelsea could, however, reject West Ham's advances and keep hold of Broja due to the shortage of strikers at Stamford Bridge. He is likely to be given the chance to prove his worth during the club's pre-season tour this summer.