Graham Potter has 'no doubt' that Kai Havertz will prosper under his guidance, suggesting the German has everything it takes to be a 'top player'.
The 23-year-old will go down in Chelsea folklore - he scored the winning goal to clinch Chelsea's second Champions League on an unforgettable night in Porto, as well as striking in the 117th minute to confirm the Blues as Club World Cup champions.
Despite these heroics, Havertz has suffered a turbulent tenure, splitting opinion amongst the Chelsea fanbase, with arguments he is not consistently prolific enough to establish himself as Chelsea's leading man.
Since he joined in 2020, he has only accumulated 17 league goals and seven assists in 80 games - an average of 0.2 goals per game.
The German certainly has a unique skill set. Under former boss Thomas Tuchel, he was deployed as a '9.5' - playing as a striker/attacking midfielder hybrid - maximising his creativity, movement, and finishing.
He has not reached these levels under Potter yet, however, being utilised as the main source of goals - when it is clear that it is not his game, with his playmaking suffering as a result.
His contract is set to expire in 2025, with there being no indications of an extended deal. The summer arrival of Christopher Nkunku, along with the potential permanent signing of Joao Felix, could cast further uncertainty over Havertz's future.
Potter heaped praise on his forward, insisting Havertz has what it takes to be Chelsea's talisman.
"I have no doubt about Kai, he is a top player, delivers in the big moments, gives his best for the team all the time, runs himself into the ground," Potter told the media.
"He has probably benefitted from playing a slightly different position, but whatever you ask him to do, he does his best, so that's a great starting point.
"He is still young, he has all the attributes to be a top player, score goals, assist, help the team.
"I think he can be an all-round fantastic player."
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On Mudryk
Joining for £88.5 million and signing an eight-and-a-half-year deal is bound to bring high expectations - and rightly so.
Before joining Chelsea in January, Mudryk had not played any form of competitive football in over eight weeks due to the World Cup.
After an encouraging debut against Liverpool, terrorising James Milner and Joe Gomez, the winger is yet to record a goal contribution, blanking in all six appearances.
He has not started a game since the 1-0 defeat against Borussia Dortmund in Germany - nearly a month ago.
Adapting to a new country, new team and new tactics can prove difficult. It is rare that any expensive Chelsea signing hits the ground running from day one.
Potter is not worried about his form, however, understanding that it takes time to adapt to new surroundings.
When asked if his forward may have benefitted from some time outside the team, Potter replied:
"Yeah, I think so. Of course every player wants to play and it's important that players play to improve, I think that's a fact.
"At the same time, it's not a straight road, sometimes you have to take a step away and sometimes you need a bit of training time, need a breather, a lot of factors.
"Hopefully he can benefit from the time he has had, and again it's not easy for him to arrive in the middle of pre-season for him and to come into a new country, new league and just hit his maximum level, regardless of the fee.
"I know people look at the fee but that does not change the situation he is in, so we are positive about him, positive about the future, but we just need to help him settle and help him understand what he needs to do to help us."
