Havertz in action against the Gunners in pre-season. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
2. Expanding the playmaking horizons
Upon the arrival of Havertz, many doors will open up to allow Arteta to change his system. In his four-year tenure, Arteta has never started a new season without changing his tactical approach and there is no doubt that this season will be no different. Havertz’s tactical awareness and understanding of space means he can drift into spaces when needed.
It would be a mistake by Arteta to adopt the German’s position at Chelsea as he only plays as a striker because of their recent incompetence in the transfer window. If Havertz replaced Xhaka in the XI, Ødegaard could drop deeper and Havertz would have license to dictate attacks. His elite movement in the attacking phase means he could involve the two wingers to get on the ball in the half-spaces or through the lines.
At 6’3″, Havertz could be used as a target man to provide a different threat. He could receive the ball in the air and with the highest aerial duel success rate in the Premier League last season, he could find a teammate or bring the ball down. It would provide a different threat that Arsenal fans are crying out for and despite his inferior finishing, he could be used as a classic striker profile.
The Champions League winner could also be used as a counter-attacking threat. As seen in the Champions League Final, after a handful of passes, a ball from Mason Mount on the halfway line saw Havertz through on goal. After ranking fourth for top speed during his time in the Bundesliga, Havertz’s lack of speed is nothing more than a myth.
His former boss and fellow German, Thomas Tuchel has praised the player and has compared him to some of the best attacking players in the world.
“I see a bit of Dennis Bergkamp, Robin Van Persie, [Dimitar] Berbatov kind of player. He can play in the half position because he has good runs, but also feels free from the nine and creates overload to one side.” – Tuchel on Havertz (as quoted by The Metro)
Continued on the next slide…
an Arsenal kit </a>next season.</p>
<h2>5 reasons why Kai Havertz would be a great signing for Arsenal</h2>
<p>With Chelsea rumoured to let their youngster leave Stamford Bridge for £60m, I explored why Havertz is worth the gamble.</p>
<p>https://twitter.com/afcstuff/status/1670470074694549506</p>
<h2><strong>1. Mastering multiple positions</strong></h2>
<p>In recent years, top managers have led a revolution in football which sees players have less structure in their positions and instead have personalised roles to see the group of players reach their potential. This has benefited players like Havertz as he is well-rounded and can be utilised in various positions.</p>
<p>At just 24, Havertz has gained experience in many different departments at Bayer Leverkusen and Chelsea. In Germany, Havertz featured primarily as a number ten while also frequently featuring as a winger and a midfielder and even played in a defensive midfield partnership. However, upon his arrival in London, Chelsea deployed the German mostly as a striker, due to their lack of ability and personnel in that role.</p>
<p>A criticism of Havertz’s versatile nature is that Arsenal do not know what profile they are purchasing. Although this is true, Arteta has shown that his favourite type of players are ones that he can mould into what he would like in his team, as he showed with<a title="Granit Xhaka’s 7 best moments in an Arsenal shirt" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/18/5-reason-havertz-great-signing-havertz/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/05/xhakas-best-moments-in-an-arsenal-shirt/" rel=""> Granit Xhaka’s redemption arc.</a></p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/18/5-reason-havertz-great-signing-havertz/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #2: Expanding the Playmaking Horizons </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_127987" class="wp-caption alignnone">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-127987" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/18/5-reason-havertz-great-signing-havertz/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2235,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1410537449.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2235" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1410537449.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1410537449-768x536.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Havertz in action against the Gunners in pre-season. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)</p>
</div>
<h2><strong>2. Expanding the playmaking horizons</strong></h2>
<p>Upon the arrival of Havertz, many doors will open up to allow Arteta to change his system. In his four-year tenure, Arteta has never started a new season without changing his tactical approach and there is no doubt that this season will be no different. Havertz’s tactical awareness and understanding of space means he can drift into spaces when needed.</p>
<p>It would be a mistake by Arteta to adopt the German’s position at Chelsea as he only plays as a striker because of their recent incompetence in the transfer window. If Havertz replaced Xhaka in the XI, Ødegaard could drop deeper and Havertz would have license to dictate attacks. His elite movement in the attacking phase means he could involve the two wingers to get on the ball in the half-spaces or through the lines.</p>
<p>At 6’3″, Havertz could be used as a target man to provide a different threat. He could receive the ball in the air and with the highest aerial duel success rate in the Premier League last season, he could find a teammate or bring the ball down. It would provide a different threat that Arsenal fans are crying out for and despite his inferior finishing, he could be used as a classic striker profile.</p>
<p>The Champions League winner could also be used as a counter-attacking threat. As seen in the Champions League Final, after a handful of passes, a ball from Mason Mount on the halfway line saw Havertz through on goal. After ranking fourth for top speed during his time in the Bundesliga, Havertz’s lack of speed is nothing more than a myth.</p>
<p>His former boss and fellow German, Thomas Tuchel has praised the player and has compared him to some of the best attacking players in the world.</p>
<blockquote class="left ampstart-left"><strong>“I see a bit of Dennis Bergkamp, Robin Van Persie, [Dimitar] Berbatov kind of player. He can play in the half position because he has good runs, but also feels free from the nine and creates overload to one side.”</strong><em><strong> – Tuchel on Havertz (as quoted by The Metro) </strong></em>
<p></p></blockquote>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/18/5-reason-havertz-great-signing-havertz/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #3 - Versatility Breeds Depth </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_135023" class="wp-caption alignnone">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-135023" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/18/5-reason-havertz-great-signing-havertz/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1706,w_2560/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1487253225-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1706" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1487253225-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1487253225-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1487253225-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1487253225-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Can Havertz reignite his career at Arsenal? (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)</p>
</div>
<h2>3. Versatility breeds depth</h2>
<p>With Havertz’s versatility, the attacker can slot into multiple positions upon Arteta’s request if he fails to cement his place into the starting XI. While Arsenal have been looking for a backup attacker to mainly <a title="3 reasons for Bukayo Saka’s drop in form" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/18/5-reason-havertz-great-signing-havertz/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-saka-form/" rel="">relieve Saka of having to play so many games</a>, Havertz would also provide backup to Jesus, Martinelli and the midfielders.</p>
<p>The Champions League, Club World Cup and Super Cup winner has the class and experience in the biggest of games and competitions when it matters. Havertz will also likely not demand a high wage or much of an improvement from his current £150,000 per week deal at Stamford Bridge.</p>
<p>While being unmoulded, Arteta has shown his ability to shape players such as Saka and Sterling into players with specific roles which they can perform to a world-class level. If Havertz joins and starts as a backup, the boss will most likely work with him to mould him into a specific role which could see him flourish when he cements his place in the starting XI.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/18/5-reason-havertz-great-signing-havertz/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #4: Catalyst King Kai </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_135020" class="wp-caption alignnone">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-135020" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/18/5-reason-havertz-great-signing-havertz/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1706,w_2560/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1257989073-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1706" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1257989073-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1257989073-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1257989073-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1257989073-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Arsenal are closing in on the German. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
</div>
<h2><strong>4. Catalyst King, Kai Havertz</strong></h2>
<p>Despite performing below expectations in a Chelsea shirt, the talent Havertz possesses was demonstrated during his time in Germany. The sheer pace and decision-making of that young teenager remains and an elite coach can help Havertz find it again.</p>
<p>Poor decisions from the Chelsea hierarchy failed Havertz, and this shouldn’t be used as ammunition for reasons <a title="Why Arsenal’s interest in Kai Havertz is curious at best" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/18/5-reason-havertz-great-signing-havertz/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/14/why-arsenal-interest-kai-havertz-curious/" rel="">why Arsenal shouldn’t sign him</a>. The Blues squad has been woefully built and the German international hasn’t been given the best chance to shine.</p>
<p>If executed correctly, Havertz could be exceptional in the Gunners’ system and if it works, an attack of Martinelli, Jesus, Saka, Ødegaard and Havertz would be feared by any opponent. As Ødegaard is more reserved, it would be very interesting to see Havertz deployed as a free-roaming creative midfielder.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/18/5-reason-havertz-great-signing-havertz/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #5 - A Move Across London </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_134082" class="wp-caption alignnone">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-134082" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/18/5-reason-havertz-great-signing-havertz/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1248390777.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1248390777.jpeg 1600w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1248390777-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1248390777-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">The Gunners signed Jorginho from Chelsea in January. (Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)</p>
</div>
<h2>5. A move across London</h2>
<p>After the signings of David Luiz, Willian and Petr Čech, Arsenal have been viewed as a Chelsea retirement home in recent years. Understandably, any former Chelsea player that signs for Arsenal is met with scepticism after their recent history of signing players from west London. However, Havertz may be a break in this trend. At 24, he has plenty of prime years ahead of him.</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia">
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<p>Mikel Arteta’s talent ID has earned every fan’s trust since joining the club after the success of signings such as Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White and Ødegaard have paid off against the odds. With the help of Edu, only a handful of players have not reached expectations and an established player upon arrival is yet to do so.</p>
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<p>If this deal is completed, it should be viewed as a luxury in an attempt to boost squad depth so Arsenal can compete in cups and the league next season. After the arrival of Declan Rice, if Havertz is completed early, all Arsenal fans should be excited about pre-season and the rest of the window.</p><!—pageview_candidate—></p>">
