Arsenal are thought to be ready to step up their interest in a deal to sign Kai Havertz, with the Gunners hoping for Chelsea to lower their asking price.
Real Madrid are also interested in the forward, with Chelsea ready to sell as they look set to offload up to ten players this summer. The Blues are reportedly willing to consider offers in the region of £70 million for the 24-year-old, whose contract expires in June 2025.
A similar price would be required to sign Mason Mount, with both players thought to be on their way out of Stamford Bridge despite their joint-success in achieving Champions League glory in 2021.
This is reported by the Daily Telegraph, with Arsenal thought to be keen on a lower offer, with Declan Rice reported to be the Gunners' main transfer priority.
However, glowing praise from Thierry Henry for Havertz could convince them to push for an agreement, with the French legend making a comparison to Robin van Persie. Following Chelsea's win against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League earlier this season, Henry made the comparison to van Persie when speaking as a pundit.
"I thought he was good on the first goal you could see held the ball ever so well," Henry told CBS Sports. "He reminds me sometimes, a little, of Robin back to goal the way he can hold the ball. Robin van Persie was very good with his left foot, the touch was always immaculate he tried to bring people along.
"This is why out of the guys that used to be wingers or No.10 he plays as a nine because with his his back to goal he can hold the ball well. Now he needs to make sure he can transform that into more goals because you can play off him."
Havertz has often been deployed as a striker in his time with Chelsea, with the role yet to yield the goal tally expected of a top class centre forward. His first 91 Premier League games have seen just 19 goals, van Persie, meanwhile, scored 28 in his first 87 league matches for Arsenal, a similarly low return compared to the likes of Erling Haaland and Harry Kane.
However, van Persie blossomed into a fine goal scorer, having previously been a mercurial, deeper-lying player during his early days with the Gunners, winning successive Premier League Golden Boot awards in 2012 and 2013.
Havertz has shown his finishing ability, with his finish in the Champions League final of 2021 winning the trophy for Chelsea against Man City. He has also been entrusted with the role for his country, Germany, with the hope being that he can flourish into becoming a prolific goalscorer.
Should he join, Arsenal fans will be hopeful of him matching the goalscoring feats of Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie while providing a challenger to Gabriel Jesus, who had an injury-hot first season at the club.
