Chelsea need Kai Havertz to start being more than their sometimes man

Up in the posh seats, one extremely astute judge of talent was watching with interest. Chelsea were taking on Al-Hilal in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup and, as far as Arsène Wenger was concerned, the chance to have a close look at Kai Havertz was not to be missed.

For those near Wenger at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium, it was impossible not to notice how much the former Arsenal manager appreciated Havertz’s game: the elusive movement, the way he kept popping up in unexpected positions, the sense that the Chelsea attacker was always on the verge of producing something special.

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But it never quite happened for the young German. When he charged down the left and lifted a cross into the area in the 32nd minute, it required a defensive mix-up from Al-Hilal to gift Romelu Lukaku the winning goal. Then, when the former Bayer Leveruksen player tore through midway through the second half, he hit the post when he had the chance to score a magnificent solo goal.

It was another one of those nearly moments from Havertz. Sometimes it seems his curse is almost scoring great goals. He can be indulgent with his finishing and for all his elegant movement there are times when he seems reluctant to push the limits, which has stopped him becoming a more dominant figure for Chelsea.

Nonetheless the depth of Havertz’s ability is obvious. Wenger glimpsed it from afar and Thomas Tuchel has seen it up close. So, too, have Havertz’s Chelsea teammates. They had faith even when he was struggling to adapt to English football last season. Seasoned players saw in training that Havertz was capable of moments of individual brilliance.

Yet he remains a work in