Bayer Leverkusen are ready to welcome Arsenal’s Kai Havertz back to the club in the future.
He spent 10 years at the Bundesliga side, having joined their academy on a free transfer from Alemannia Aachen in 2010.
The Arsenal star made his way into Bayer Leverkusen’s first team in 2016. He played 150 matches, mainly as an attacking midfielder, scoring 46 goals and contributing 31 assists.
In his final season at Bayer Leverkusen, he managed 18 goals and nine assists. This convinced Chelsea to spend around €100m to secure his services in 2020.
Havertz spent three years at Stamford Bridge, managing 32 goals and 16 assists from 139 matches, and operated as a No.9 in 71 of those matches. His goal helped Chelsea win the Champions League during the 2020/21 season, beating Manchester City in the final.
In 2023, the player joined Arsenal and had a slow start to his Emirates career. In September 2023, he was confident of showcasing his qualities for the Gunners. He said: “But I’ve often had a phase and that you often only see the negative. It’s not the first club where I’m starting over.
“Of course, you want to be successful as quickly as possible, but I know that there are phases like that. I try to approach it in a relaxed manner.”
Mikel Arteta used him as an attacking midfielder and then as a striker.
The 26-year-old has 32 goals and 19 assists from 98 matches. His last goal came in the Champions League draw against his former club on Wednesday. The penalty in the 89th minutes saw the Gunners avoid a defeat on their trip to Germany.
Bayer Leverkusen open door for Arsenal player
Prior to the European kick-off, Havertz officially said goodbye to his former club. Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro, board member Werner Wenning and managing director Simon Rolfes praised Havertz.
The German club aren’t a fan of bringing former players back to the club. However, Bild report they are ready to make an exception for the Arsenal star.
After the Champions League match, Rolfes talked about the possibility of bringing the Arsenal player back to the club. His €20m per year salary is a problem for them to sign him in the near future.
However, that may not be the case a few years down the line, considering the relationship between the two is ‘special one’, and the supporters appreciated him earlier this week.
“With Kai, there’s always the risk that I’ll cave. He knows that too. Whenever we talk, I’m already starting to dig,” Rolfes explained.
Havertz’s contract, value and agent info
The attacker has a contract until 2028, and Transfermarkt value him at €50m.
It was at €55m when he joined Arsenal and reached €75m [highest with the Gunners] in October 2024. Since then, it has only gone down, probably because of his injury woes.
Havertz suffered a hamstring injury in February 2025 and that kept him out for over three months. He picked up a knee injury in August, forcing him to spend 134 days on the sidelines.
Injuries forced him to miss 257 days and 51 matches for Arsenal since the start of 2025.
German agency Roof represents him and they have good ties with several Bundesliga sides, including Bayer Leverkusen.