Chelsea legend Joe Cole has hit back at critics of Kai Havertz.
The 21-year-old was signed from Bayer Leverkusen for a club-record fee in the summer.
It has been a slow start to life in London for Havertz, but Cole believes his quality is 'unquestionable'.
"No, it's not been fair (the criticism) because when you do go into a different culture, with different team-mates, different style of play and different training, it can be tough," the former Chelsea winger told BT Sport of Havertz's potential.
"But the talent is unquestionable. He's widely regarded as one of the best young players in Europe.
"He's had his injury difficulties, he had the [corona]virus that set him back, but my feeling is that the cream will always rise to the top and he's a top, top player.
"We've seen it in flashes and as the season moves on, that will get more and more consistent.
"I think he's struggled a little bit with how well Werner has settled in. Two German lads coming in, obviously it helps, but he's (Werner) settled in.
"They've come from different clubs, different environments and different demands in training, so Werner has settled in quicker, but Havertz will be a big player, I'm convinced of that. As the season goes on, he will impact games."
