Kai Havertz was born on 11 June 1999 in Aachen, Germany, and came through the academy at Bayer Leverkusen, signing at the age of 11. He made his senior Bundesliga debut in October 2016 at just 17, becoming the club's youngest-ever debutant at the time, and went on to set records as the youngest player in German top-flight history to reach both 50 and 100 league appearances.
Havertz moved to Chelsea in September 2020 for a fee reported at around £62 million. His time at Stamford Bridge produced three major honours: the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League, the 2021 UEFA Super Cup, and the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup. He scored the winning goal in both the Champions League and Club World Cup finals, which stand as the defining moments of his Chelsea career.
A versatile, technically composed forward who can operate as a striker or attacking midfielder, Havertz joined Arsenal in June 2023 for a reported £65 million. He finished his first full season at the Emirates with 13 Premier League goals and seven assists, a personal best of 20 goal contributions in a single top-flight campaign.
Havertz made his senior international debut for Germany in September 2018, becoming the first player born in 1999 to represent the national side. He has since appeared at two UEFA European Championships (2020 and 2024) and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, scoring twice in each of those tournaments.