Kai Havertz should resist the urge to leave Bayer Leverkusen for Bayern Munich at least for the time being, according to Germany great Michael Ballack.
"Players with his quality are in demand everywhere, but I think he's in good hands in Leverkusen," the former midfielder told SportBild.
"The general conditions there are perfect for top young players and their further development. Leverkusen play attractive football, the training opportunities are very good. Leverkusen also offers a cautious environment.
"As a player [at Leverkusen] you can sometimes make mistakes without being the focus of criticism - you should appreciate that. Of course, a player like Havertz would also like to play in the Champions League, so it would be important for Leverkusen to qualify."
Ballack does not doubt Havertz's ability - on the contrary, he considers the 20-year-old to be lacking very little from his game - but he feels a player must be ready to make the step up, as Bayern is a more demanding and challenging place to play.
"As a footballer he'd bring everything with him," he said. "If we talk about Bayern, if you want to take the next step as a player, you also have to be prepared for such a challenge in order to survive in such a robust environment. That will really weigh up his surroundings – [determine] when the right time has come to take the next step."