When Arsenal signed Kai Havertz for £65m last summer from Chelsea, it was a signing that was ridiculed by most in the footballing circles. The German had become somewhat of a laughing stock during his time at Stamford Bridge despite scoring the Champions League-winning goal against Manchester City.
Back when he was at Bayer Leverkusen, Havertz was regarded as the next big thing in German football. He came to the Bridge with an immense weight of expectations on his shoulder but struggled for consistency. Except for a stint under Thomas Tuchel, the 25-year-old never felt settled in a Blues jersey.
From laughing stock to league leader – Kai Havertz Arsenal Redemption!
Mikel Arteta though saw something that most failed to see. In Havertz, he saw a very talented player who needed an arm around his shoulder and a manager who gave him a defined role in the team. The Spanish tactician did not succeed immediately with the German, struggling to give him a defined role in his setup.
Arteta initially saw Havertz as a box-crashing #8, almost like a shadow striker. However, the 25-year-old struggled to create the necessary impact. Captain Martin Odegaard has even revealed how the German was struggling in his initial months at the Emirates and how things changed
“As a captain I want to be someone who is always helping my team to get the best out of everyone. Always do what’s best for the team, that is the main thing. In terms of the moment, Kai was struggling a little bit in the beginning. He didn’t score the goals he wanted, the big signing, the big name, it was easy for fans to come after him a little bit, but we had this moment and decided it was time for him to get his goal. After that he grew on it.”
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Swap Saka for a certain player here and Havertz career might never be revived. pic.twitter.com/w1UIqhmDIp
— Santi™ (@ThePeakSanti) August 21, 2024
So, when did things change?
The main thing that helped Havertz turn around his Arsenal career was the unwavering trust of Mikel Arteta despite widespread calls to drop him. The ex-Chelsea man’s fortunes changed when the Spanish tactician started using him as the number nine ahead of Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah.
Havertz might not be the most prolific in front of goal but playing closer to an area where he can create danger, goals and assists started flowing for the German who recorded 15 goal contributions in the last 13 Premier League games. The player oozed confidence and looked like a different beast.
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The most exciting thing for Gunners fans is that Havertz has started off the season from where he left off. In Arsenal’s season-opener against Wolves, he scored the first goal of the game before setting up Bukayo Saka for the second to seal their victory. Not for no reason did we suggest you guys pick the 25-year-old in your FPL team.
Havertz is at that age in his career where he understands his game much better than he used to. He looks more confident and composed in an Arsenal jersey and let’s hope he can finally realise his long due potential and become one of the players in the Premier League and maybe even in the World!
