Kai Havertz Zinedine ZidaneGetty/Goal

'Havertz has the elegance of Zidane' - Man Utd-linked star compared to Madrid legend by Leverkusen coach Daum

Kai Havertz "has the elegance" of Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane, according to Bayer Leverkusen assistant coach Marcel Daum.

Havertz has enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence in the Bundesliga over the last couple of seasons, attracting attention from a whole host of top European clubs in the process.

The 20-year-old has 15 goals and eight assists to his name from 38 appearances in all competitions for Leverkusen in 2019-20, and is reportedly being valued as high as £90 million ($113m) ahead of the summer transfer window.

Article continues below

Madrid, Bayern Munich and Liverpool have all been linked with Havertz in recent months, and  Manchester United have also been tipped to test Leverkusen's resolve by launching a bid when the market reopens.

Daum has witnessed the Germany international's ability up close at BayArena, and sees similarities between the midfielder and Zidane, who earned a place among the greats at Santiago Bernabeu and also won the World Cup with France at the height of his playing career.

“Everyone is asking about Kai Havertz,” the Leverkusen number two told talkSPORT . “If you see him play, it tells you everything.

“For me, he has the elegance of Zidane. If you see his movement, he’s very elegant, he’s always calm, he has great passing ability.

“What a lot of people don’t see, because we watch him every day, is that he’s pretty fast. That’s a big bonus.

“He’s a great player; he’s scoring goals, he’s great in the air and he’s pretty fast. It’s up to him how far he can go.

“I can’t say he will be the best German player ever, but he has the talent and there are no limits. He’s displaying signs of Zidane.”

Kai Havertz Bayer Leverkusen

Daum added on the continued speculation surrounding Havertz future: "The situation with coronavirus is so strange and so complicated that it’s still open that he will leave us.

“I don’t know what will happen, but at Bayer, he has the right place to develop his strengths and improve.

“The only thing I know is that Bayer won’t sell him for a cheap fee.”

Havertz has hit five goals in four games for Leverkusen since the Bundesliga restart on May 18, with all remaining fixtures being played behind closed doors due to the continued threat of Covid-19.

As the Premier League also prepares to reopen its doors on June 17, Daum has warned that the lack of atmosphere without supporters makes for a "bizarre" experience.

He said: “It’s strange to be honest. It’s kind of bizarre sitting on the bench and coaching. You get used to it. It’s bizarre without fans.

“You are in an empty stadium, you can hear everything the other coaches say, you can hear every word of every player.

“Sometimes the atmosphere is like a friendly game, but still you know it’s a competition. It’s strange.”

Who will win the Premier League title?

68710 Votes
Advertisement