Christian Falk says it is not happening: Bayern Munich will not try to sign Kai Havertz in the summer, ending a round of speculation that had linked the German club to the Arsenal forward.
Falk put the report bluntly: "It is NOT TRUE: Bayern have added Kai Havertz to their shortlist ahead of the summer." The denial follows what Falk described as rumours a few weeks ago that he checked up on; he says Bayern will not be pursuing a deal in the 2026 summer window.
That matters for Havertz — the 26-year-old forward joined Arsenal in 2023 from Chelsea and is under contract until the summer of 2028. In 107 matches for Arsenal he has scored 34 goals and provided 17 assists; this season, in the 2025/26 campaign, he has made 20 appearances with five goals and four assists. Knee and muscle injuries have affected his availability this term.
Arsenal reporter Alex Howell said the club had considered two paths for Havertz before this season: extending his contract or testing the market this summer. "Before this season, there had been discussions internally about extending that deal or seeing what interest there might have been in the forward this summer if he had produced the kind of season that was expected of him," Howell said. "But that process has been put on hold with Gyokeres’ performances raising questions and Havertz’s recent injury record lowering the possibility of a club paying his true value."
The numbers and the quotes explain why Arsenal have not been rushed into a decision. Havertz remains a valuable player for the team but his recent fitness record reduces the chance of a buyer paying a fee that reflects his longer-term contract and previous output.
Still, the transfer market rarely speaks with one voice. James Benge reported interest from Bayern in Havertz, calling it "one to monitor in the summer." "Yeah, my understanding on Havertz and Bayern is that there is interest there," Benge said, and added, "Nothing more than that that I’ve heard at the moment, but that is one to monitor in the summer." Benge linked some of the chatter to Bayern’s anticipated need for depth after Nicolas Jackson’s loan spell: "Because of course, Nicolas Jackson is going, so he might figure as a depth piece at Bayern, like someone that can cover a bit for Musiala and a bit for Kane."
That is the tension: Falk’s categorical denial versus Benge’s cautious flag that interest exists and should be watched. Both can be true in a marketplace where informal interest is sometimes reported before clubs remove names from consideration — and where one reporter’s check can close a door that another still sees ajar.
For now the practical consequence is clear. Arsenal are actively pursuing a move for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez, which suggests the club is targeting forward reinforcements rather than preparing to let Havertz go. With Havertz contracted to Arsenal until 2028 and with his 2025/26 minutes limited by knee and muscle problems, a big-money departure this summer looks unlikely.
Readouts to watch next: whether Arsenal restart internal talks on Havertz’s future once Gyokeres’s form and Havertz’s fitness are clearer, and whether any club other than Bayern moves to make an offer. In the absence of a bid that reflects his value, the most consequential outcome is that Kai Havertz remains an Arsenal player, his contract intact and the club’s recruitment focused elsewhere.
For related coverage of Bayern’s transfer priorities see and for earlier scenes this season involving Havertz see
