Chelsea have finally made a breakthrough in talks with Bayer Leverkusen to sign Kai Havertz and will make the midfielder their club-record signing, according to reports in Germany.
The west London side have been locked in negotiations with the Bundesliga outfit for months to try and agree a deal for the 21-year-old, who is rated as one of Germany's outstanding young players.
According to Sport Bild, Chelsea will pay €80million (£72m) up front plus a further €20m (£18m) in bonuses, making the total value of the deal £90m.
That represents the biggest fee Chelsea have ever spent on a player, eclipsing the £71.6m they spent on Kepa Arrizabalaga when he signed from Athletic Bilbao two years ago.
Chelsea have agreed two sets of bonuses with Leverkusen, the first of which is expected to be paid out in full and relates to the Blues reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League over the next five years.
The second batch of bonuses are for any titles that are won up until 2025, including the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
Now Chelsea can begin drawing up a contract for Havertz and rubberstamp the deal, though personal terms will not be an issue.
Havertz is excited by the prospect of moving to the Premier League and has already verbally agreed a five-year contract, and the west London club could even announce the transfer by the end of the week.
He will become the most expensive German player in history and joins countryman Timo Werner in swapping the Bundesliga for Stamford Bridge this summer.
Havertz's arrival continues a statement summer for Chelsea, who have already signed Werner and Hakim Ziyech, while they are also looking to wrap up a £50m deal for Leicester's Ben Chilwell and bring in free agent Thiago Silva to bolster the defence.
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