Havertz joined Arsenal from Chelsea for £65m and despite raised eyebrows, the 24-year-old has immense quality and could be the missing piece for Mikel Arteta’s men.
After three seasons at Chelsea, Havertz’ legacy is perhaps tied to that one moment. The winning goal in the Champions League final.
32 goals and 12 assists in 139 appearances may not seem like stellar numbers but he proved the man for the big moment. Delivering game-winning goals in the 2021 Champions League final and 2022 Club World Cup final.
Despite the big moments, there is a sense that he underwhelmed, especially last season. Chelsea fans never truly accepted the German international.
Havertz to Arsenal
A move to Arsenal, surprising at first, makes sense for a few reasons. Mikel Arteta has decided to take what can only be described as a gamble. One that bankrolls a direct rival in their pursuit of other players.
Moises Caicedo, a player who Arsenal themselves have been linked with, could be on his way to Chelsea as a direct consequence.
Arteta’s men scored for fun last season, so, scoring goals is perhaps not the club’s biggest concern. However, a player with the experience of winning the biggest club competition is always welcome.
Where will he play for Arsenal?
Havertz has mainly played up front as a number nine for Chelsea. He played 65% of his total minutes there across his three seasons. It didn’t really work, as his raw output shows.
In his own words, Havertz says he’s “more or less a midfield player, but I like to go into the box”.
Essentially the German is far more capable of operating as a false nine, rather than a standard striker.
Regardless of his flaws in front of goal, Havertz will only truly excel when played in his best position. He is comfortable on the ball and has an underrated ability to link with runners around him.
Only two players who played predominantly as strikers last season (Harry Kane and Leandro Trossard) created more chances in open play than Havertz (33).
Havertz’s 78.1% passing accuracy was 4th in the league among strikers, showing his ability to link play in the final third in tight spaces.
He also offers an aerial presence and threat in the box, at 6-foot-2 and Arsenal lack a player like him to attack crosses against deep blocks.
Havertz has excellent movement and is able to time his runs into the box perfectly to get on the end of crosses and pullbacks.
The best version of Havertz could be the missing piece for Arteta. The fans must forget about the price tag and experience a different player.
