Mikel Arteta has now hinted at where Kai Havertz features in his plans for Arsenal in the upcoming season.
Mikel Arteta experimented with Kai Havertz last season.
When Havertz came to the club, the manager’s plan was to reinvent him as a midfielder. For the first half of the season, the German routinely featured for Arsenal as part of the midfield trio, alongside Martin Odegaard and ahead of Declan Rice.
However, the former Chelsea man never really looked settled or comfortable in this left-eight role. He was clearly short on confidence upon his arrival at the Emirates Stadium, and quickly attracted criticism for his anonymous displays in this unfamiliar position.
However, around the mid-point of the campaign, Arteta gave Havertz a run in the team up front and he was able to shine as a striker for the rest of the season, scoring a number of important goals and impressing with his ability to hold up the ball and provide intelligent movement.
The 25-year-old is now expected to be the Gunners’ starting striker when the new campaign kicks off. However, it appears that Arteta has not yet given up on his plan to integrate Havertz in a deeper role.
Mikel Arteta opens up about Kai Havertz role at Arsenal
Speaking to ESPN, Arteta was invited to discuss his plans for Havertz going forward. The manager said: “He’s played mainly in two positions, as an attacking midfield and as a nine, and yeah, he ended the season really strongly in that [latter] position.
“But he offers a lot of versatility, and we have players up front that can play in different positions. That’s great, that brings more competition, more options, and hopefully more goals and a better team.”
Havertz is certainly likely to face more competition for his staring berth up front this season. Gabriel Jesus has convinced Arteta that he can still effectively lead the line for the Gunners.
On top of that, the club are currently on the hunt for a new striker. Arsenal have made moves towards signing Viktor Gyokeres and Victor Osimhen.
Arsenal fans will fear Havertz midfield return
If the plan is to bring in another striker and then revert Havertz to a midfield role on a more regular basis then there will be plenty of Arsenal fans who have an issue with that. There is certainly an argument that the Havertz in midfield experiment failed to a great enough extent to suggest that it should be dismissed altogether.
The left-eight position is still a problem for Arteta. Whilst Declan Rice can perform the role, he is also the Gunners’ best option at the base of midfield.
Regardless of Havertz’s long-term place in the pecking order as a striker, Arsenal must still invest in another player who can provide a convincing solution to the left-eight issue.
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