Kai Havertz: Chelsea forward is the modern-day Johan Cruyff, says Ralf Rangnick
Written by News on 25/09/2020
Ralf Rangnick believes it is “only a matter of time” before the Premier League learns the devastating potential of Kai Havertz, comparing Chelsea’s new £76m signing to the legendary Johan Cruyff.
Chelsea travel to The Hawthorns on Saturday to face West Brom, live on Sky Sports, and Havertz will be expecting to start having scored his first hat-trick in professional football in the 6-0 Carabao Cup win over Barnsley in midweek.
Speaking on The Football Show, former RB Leipzig head coach and sporting director Rangnick believes Chelsea have secured a significant signing this summer, paying Havertz the highest compliment by drawing comparisons to former Netherlands, Barcelona and Ajax great Cruyff.
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“I have no doubts whatsoever that he will become a sustainable success and that he will become one of the top players in the next two or three years,” Rangnick told Sky Sports.
“Maybe, he will need a couple of weeks to get adjusted because he has a fantastic family background – I know that because I was also trying to convince him to join us at Leipzig but he was completely dedicated to Bayer Leverkusen.
“He’s one of those players where I don’t see any weaknesses in his game. He’s the type of modern Johan Cruyff – he can score goals and he can provide assists.
“He can play as a nine or nine-and-a-half. I don’t see him as a winger but in the central area of the pitch, he’s extremely valuable. I have no doubt that this transfer will prove to be a success story for Chelsea and for Kai.
“His best position is either a No 10 or in a 4-3-3, he can play as one of the two offensive No 8s in midfield. He’s very versatile and almost the complete offensive midfielder with a complete 360-degree radar to score goals and provide assists.
“It’s only a question of time for the whole league to see what kind of player Chelsea have signed.”
Timo Werner was signed from Leipzig this summer, and Rangnick has known the striker since he was a 16-year-old playing for the youth team at Stuttgart.
“He became a regular first-team player for Stuttgart at the age of 17,” Rangnick added. “When they were relegated from the Bundesliga four years ago, we won promotion the same summer so for me it was very obvious to try to convince him to join us. With his outstanding pace and goal ratio he was the perfect fit into our style of football.
“We managed to convince him to come to us and I told him he would become a Germany international within two years, which is what happened. He averaged almost 20 goals a season and the step to Chelsea makes sense as a result of their new pathway to rely on young highly talented players.”
Leipzig tried to sign Sancho
Jadon Sancho has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United throughout the summer but Dortmund are yet to receive an offer for the player they value at £108m.
Rangnick first watched the 20-year-old when he was still a Manchester City player in 2017, featuring as he did back then for England U17s in a European Qualifying game in Portugal. He and Callum Hudson-Odoi stood out and Rangnick admits he would like to have signed both players.
“We were scouting him for four years at Leipzig and we even met Jadon, his family and his agent three years ago. Ralph Hasenhuttl (then RB Leipzig manager) and myself met them in London but unfortunately he decided to then go to Borussia Dortmund.
“It would’ve been a very expensive transfer for us, but in the end, Jadon decided to join Dortmund. His development in the last three years has been amazing. He’s one of the best wing offensive players in Europe currently.
“If you look at his statistics last season in the Bundesliga he had 18 goals and 18 assists. As a winger player, those statistics are phenomenal and currently in Europe I don’t see any other player with his combination of pace, being dangerous in front of goal and ability to get assists. He’s one of the biggest talents in Europe and Dortmund know he’s one of the most important players in their squad.
“On the other hand, we know his price tag so it will be up to Dortmund to decide what happens next. Callum, coming back from his ACL operation, he will become one of the top talents in England. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with him in the future.”
Haaland the benchmark for strikers
Erling Haaland is one of the hottest properties in football having continued his ascent as a Borussia Dortmund player following his January switch from Red Bull Salzburg, and Rangnick has tipped the Norwegian to set the standard for centre forwards over the next decade and beyond.
He said: “Erling is one of my favourite players and he will be the benchmark for central strikers for the next 10 to 15 years. He combines almost all the assets that you need as a striker.
“He’s 193cm tall, he’s extremely fast and he’s good on the ball. He can control and defend the ball and can be the link between the midfielders and the rest of the forwards. He’s extremely dangerous in front of goal, he’s good in the air and he’s got a top mentality as well.
“I know that when he enters his car in the morning, the first thing he will listen to is the Champions League anthem and this just shows you the mentality that this young boy has. For me, he’s a fantastic player and Borussia Dortmund deserve a lot of credit for signing him.
“It’s the first time that Red Bull haven’t been able to keep a player within their own system since Leipzig has been playing Bundesliga football and he’s a difference maker in all aspects of the game.”
(c) Sky Sports 2020: Kai Havertz: Chelsea forward is the modern-day Johan Cruyff, says Ralf Rangnick
