Chelsea legend played a major role in Champions League winner Kai Havertz joining the club

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Even though Kai Havertz now calls Arsenal his home, his name is permanently written in the history books at Chelsea.

German forward Kai Havertz, 26, spent three seasons with the Blues between 2020 and 2023.

Of course, his crowning moment came in his first campaign at Stamford Bridge, when he scored the winning goal to beat Manchester City 1-0 in the Champions League final. He rounded goalkeeper Ederson and tucked the ball into the empty net to clinch Europe’s elite competition for the second time in Chelsea’s history.

The truth is that the attacker’s form in Chelsea colours was mixed, and supporters were struggling to truly take to him. However, Havertz’s move to Arsenal has turned out to be something that has made sense for all parties involved.

At the time, Ian Wright was optimistic about Havertz joining Arsenal, and it turns out his faith was well placed.

• READ MORE: Kai Havertz aimed a subtle dig last year at Chelsea and winning the Champions League

Frank Lampard was key to Kai Havertz joining Chelsea

During his first-ever interview as a Chelsea player in 2020, Havertz admitted that Frank Lampard, who was the manager at the time, was a major reason why he made the switch to Stamford Bridge.

Havertz said via Chelsea’s official website in September 2020: “Of course he (Lampard) had a big impact on my decision because I loved him as a player and watched him very often, and I think I can learn from him now he is a manager as well. I think he is a very humble person and a great guy and I can’t wait to play with him and learn from him.”

Chelsea legend Lampard won the club’s first Champions League as a player back in 2012. He would then go on to sign the player who starred in their second European triumph.

Midway through the 2020-21 campaign, Lampard was sacked by the Chelsea hierarchy and replaced by Thomas Tuchel, who would coach the success in the Champions League.

Incidentally, Lampard’s impressive record at Coventry City is that he’s the only manager in England’s top leagues yet to suffer a league defeat so far this season

Kai Havertz vs Joao Pedro

Chelsea splashed £71m (BBC) to sign Havertz over five years ago. Meanwhile, Enzo Maresca’s current side paid £60m (BBC) to sign Joao Pedro from Brighton this summer.

It is fascinating to compare the deals for Havertz and Pedro, even though the former has completed his Blues career and the latter is only just getting started.

In Havertz’s case, the versatile attacker played multiple positions during his time in West London without really nailing down his best role for an extended period. Whatever you think of his Chelsea career, it is amplified by the famous night in Porto with the Champions League final.

The early signs are that Pedro, 24, looks a strong fit for Chelsea, whether that’s as a number nine or a number 10. We just hope he doesn’t fall into the same trap as Havertz, his versatile predecessor.