Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Kai Havertz is on the verge of signing for Chelsea after being given permission to leave the Germany squad’s training camp.
The 21-year-old could become Frank Lampard’s sixth signing of the summer.
Leverkusen have said they value the highly rated player, who has seven international caps, at about £90m.
Havertz will travel to London with the move potentially being completed in the next 24 hours.
Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller said he was “grateful to the national coach that Kai can now sort things out with our support on site in London”.
Havertz was an unused substitute in Germany’s 1-1 Nations League draw with Spain on Thursday, with the German team set to face Switzerland on Sunday.
Last week, the Bundesliga side’s head coach Peter Bosz said he “doesn’t expect Havertz to train with us again”.
Last season Havertz scored 18 goals in 45 appearances for Leverkusen, including seven in nine games after the Bundesliga season restarted.
Havertz Analysis
Having been unable to sign players last summer because of a transfer ban, Chelsea have certainly made up for lost time.
They have already brought in former Ajax winger Hakim Ziyech, former RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner and Leicester left-back Ben Chilwell for significant fees, plus defenders Thiago Silva and Malang Sarr on free transfers.
Havertz’s signing could take Chelsea’s summer spending past the £200m mark.
That will mean more is expected of manager Frank Lampard, whose team finished fourth in the Premier League last campaign in his first season and were FA Cup runners-up.
There will also be questions about how much playing time some of Chelsea’s academy graduates get, having made their breakthroughs last season when the transfer ban was still in force.
