Kai Havertz is capable of filling Eden Hazard’s boots at Chelsea or starring for Liverpool, claims Dimitar Berbatov, but the Bayer Leverkusen starlet has been warned it is “too early” for him to be making a Premier League move.
At just 20 years of age, the highly-rated attacker already has seven senior caps for Germany and is generating plenty of talk regarding a big-money switch to England.
Leading sides across Europe are keeping a close eye on his development, but it is the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool that are considered to be leading the chase.
Former Leverkusen star Berbatov, who spent plenty of time in English football himself during his playing days, can appreciate why interest is building in the hottest of prospects.
He has, however, urged Havertz to be patient when it comes to making another step up in his career, with it important for him to maintain his current standards before taking on a new challenge at Anfield or Stamford Bridge.
Ex-Manchester United striker Berbatov told Betfair: “This week, Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz has been linked with a move to the Premier League and that doesn't surprise me.
“He has great quality and he will become even better in the future. I was so pleased to see not only him, but the Leverkusen team came back really strong in their win against Werder Bremen.
“Havertz needs to get used to the sounds that are being made about him following his two goals on Monday night because teams are going to come after him.
“There's a lot of talk that Liverpool, Chelsea and other teams are interested in him, so now he needs to be careful, not let that go to his head and stay focused on his game.
“He has enough quality and if he continues the way he is going teams will still be there, they won't go away. All eyes are on the Bundesliga at the moment and when you score goals and play good football it is no surprise that teams like Liverpool want you.
“I would like to see Havertz in the Premier League at some point, but not right now. I think it is a bit too early for him, I want to see him play more games, score more goals and get more confidence and maturity.
“I also think he will need a bit more muscle to play in the Premier League, we all know how defenders can squash you and smash you into pieces and you need to be ready for that if you are going to hit the ground running in such a demanding league.
“I think he should stay at Leverkusen and develop even more and get that experience which will help him for when the time comes to go somewhere else.
“I think it is interesting to see Chelsea linked with him, they haven't really replaced Hazard since he left and it was always going to be difficult to do so.
“I think for sure they need to go for a young player with a lot of football ahead of them, if that is the case then they will also have to be patient as well because sometimes young players need time to adjust to the physicality and speed of Premier League.
“Havertz is an option for them but it has only been the first week back of the Bundesliga and I hope that he continues the way he has come back, by scoring and producing the goals that he has done so far.”