Since joining Arsenal last summer, Kai Havertz has gone on a rollercoaster journey.
Kai Havertz looked bereft of confidence when he first came to Arsenal. Despite having scored the winner in a Champions League final, the German failed to impress consistently in his time at Chelsea.
However, Mikel Arteta had a plan to revive the player’s fortunes. The Arsenal manager tried to reinvent Havertz as a midfielder when he first came to the Emirates Stadium. This move did not go to plan, though, as the 25-year-old struggled to adjust to the unfamiliar role.
It wasn’t until the second half of last season, after he was reinstated as a striker, that Havertz found his feet at Arsenal, and he hasn’t looked back since.
The 51-cap Germany international has impressed in pre-season too, as he racked up a goal and two assists against his former club Bayer Leverkusen last time out.
Havertz has vindicated Arteta’s decision to sign him, as he played in midfield and up front against the German outfit, and now looks capable of seamlessly switching between the two roles.
He is clearly now comfortable at Arsenal, which shows on the pitch. Havertz has also made real connections at the Emirates Stadium, including striking up a friendship with club captain Martin Odegaard.
Martin Odegaard lifts lid on relationship with Kai Havertz
Odegaard and Havertz went on holiday together this summer, joined by their partners, and have clearly forged a close bond.
In a recent interview on the official Arsenal website, the Norwegian playmaker shared his honest thoughts about Havertz: “Great player, great person. I think he’s come into the team and he’s brought something new.
“I think he had a tough start, he was struggling a bit, then after that you saw the quality and how good, and how important he was for the team… He’s become a good friend of mine as well.”
Arteta will be hoping that this friendship can lead to an even stronger connection between the pair on the pitch. Whether Havertz is playing alongside Odegaard in midfield, or just ahead of him as a striker, it is vital that the pair have chemistry.
Mikel Arteta has engineered close Arsenal group
Arteta will be delighted that Odegaard and Havertz have become so close, as he is a huge believer in generating a family-like atmosphere within the club.
This summer, Arteta encouraged his Arsenal squad to bond, and introduced some novel techniques to facilitate this, including switching up the seating arrangements at every meal time. This forced all the players to get to know each other and prevented any cliques from forming within the group.
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