Real Madrid to miss out on striker target as Kai Havertz nears Chelsea exit

Real Madrid have been on the lookout for a new starting striker over the last couple of weeks, following Karim Benzema’s decision to leave the club in order to join Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.

Several names have been mentioned with filling the void, with one of those being Kai Havertz. Real Madrid held preliminary talks with the German international’s representatives last week, ahead of a possible move this summer.

However, it now appears that Havertz will be going to Arsenal instead. According to SkySport journalist Angelo Mangiante, the 23-year-old is very close to signing to making the switch across London to sign for Mikel Arteta’s side, who finished second in the Premier League last season.

Real Madrid certainly appeared to be interested in signing Havertz, although they didn’t view him as a direct replacement for Benzema. Talks are not believed to have started with Chelsea, so a deal wasn’t very advanced.

As such, Real Madrid will now need to look for other targets, although they are agreed a deal to sign a striker already, with Joselu’s move from Espanyol set to be confirmed over the next few days.