5 players Bayern Munich could target in the summer

HUDDERSFIELD, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 01: Leroy Sane of Manchester City goes past Steve Cook of AFC Bournemouth during the Premier League match between Huddersfield Town and Brighton & Hove Albion at John Smith's Stadium on December 1, 2018 in Huddersfield, United Kingdom. (Photo by Matt McNulty - Manchester City/Man City via Getty Images) /

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BERLIN, GERMANY – MAY 18: Kai Havertz of Bayer 04 Leverkusen during the bundesliga match between Hertha BSC and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Olympiastadion on May 18, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo of City-Press GmbH via Getty Images) /

Kai Havertz

After qualifying for the Champions League in the 2019-2020 campaign by finishing fourth in the Bundesliga on the last day of the season, Bayer Leverkusen have already lost 23-year-old attacking midfielder Julian Brandt. It’s quite possible they also lose Kai Havertz, who means even more to Bayer as a 19-year-old coming off of an exceptional 17-goal season.

Havertz has to be near the top of Bayern’s list. They need a new attacking midfielder with James unlikely to stay, as the Real Madrid man was largely misused by manager Niko Kovac. James’s best performances would come away from Bayern, whereas Die Roten need a young attacking midfielder with an eye for goal and similar technical ability to the Colombian.

After finishing the season with seven goals in as many games, Havertz tied for third in the Bundesliga in goals scored. He is composed beyond his years with the ball at his feet, but he also has the creativity to pull off some unthinkable finishes. Havertz is an elite goalscorer at the position, and Bayern need someone besides Lewandowski who can consistently finish off moves.

One of the players who can be considered a key part of Germany’s future internationally, Havertz would be an upgrade in the starting lineup over Thomas Muller in terms of athletic ability, consistency, dribbling and even finishing. What he lacks in experience, Havertz makes up for in dynamism, and those 17 goals clearly show that he has the chops to be one of Bayern’s most dangerous players.

In replacing James at CAM, Bayern must also target a player who has shooting range, which will keep many of their opponents off balance. So many teams like to sit back and defend against Bayern, crowding the situation, but Havertz has the magical dribbling ability and distance shooting to keep these teams honest. Like James, he can find the moment of magic to create a goal from nothing, either with his close control or a blistering effort from beyond the box.

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