Thomas Tuchel must trust Chelsea’s own Lionel Messi as Romelu Lukaku solution uncovered

Kai Havertz might not have had a ground-breaking year but he certainly picked up a unique stat that places him in esteemed footballing company.

As noted in Chelsea’s official end of term report for the forward, Havertz became the first player to score the match-winning goal in both the UEFA Champions League Final and Club World Cup Final since Lionel Messi in 2011.

Havertz’s winning penalty against Palmeiras in extra-time of the FIFA Club World Cup final sealed the one trophy that had eluded the Blues, whilst continuing his talent for match-winning moments on the big stage, despite only being 22.

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With Romelu Lukaku reportedly close to a return back to Inter Milan, the discussion over who will become the first choice for Thomas Tuchel will begin. Havertz replaced Lukaku back in February and soon found scoring form, netting seven times across eight appearances in all competitions between late February and early April.

He increased his goal return in all competitions from nine in his first season to 14, also having 20-goal involvements across the exhausting 63-game haul for Chelsea. Many supporters have already expressed their view that Havertz should be the main striker irrelevant to Lukaku’s future.

With a need for increased productivity, the history-maker could be given the biggest vote of confidence yet by Tuchel as we approach pre-season.