Former Cardiff City striker Jay Bothroyd insists that Arsenal made a mistake in signing Kai Havertz in the recent summer transfer window.
The decision to bring Kai Havertz to Arsenal raised plenty of eyebrows at the time.
The German arrived at the Emirates Stadium clearly lacking in confidence, and he hadn’t exactly set the Premier League alight during his inconsistent spell at Chelsea.
Havertz came in for plenty of criticism early on his Arsenal career, and many will have felt that Mikel Arteta made a huge mistake by investing £65 million in his services.
However, in recent weeks, the 24-year-old has started to show exactly why Arteta was so keen to bring him to north London. Many Arsenal fans are now also convinced that signing Havertz was smart business.
On a regular basis, the player is now providing the kind of physicality, off-the-ball work, and clever movement which is helping the Gunners to dominate territory and possession in matches. Against Burnley, last time out, Havertz also chipped in with a magnificent goal, as he nutmegged a defender before slotting the ball past James Trafford.
Despite this notable upturn in form, though, Jay Bothroyd is still convinced that the money Arsenal spent on Havertz could have been put to better use. Speaking on the Optus Sport Football Podcast, the once-capped former England man said, “I really like Mac Allister from the beginning, I was hoping that Arsenal would make a move for him and bring him to Arsenal, but they decided to go with Havertz, I don’t know why.”
“I don’t even want to talk about that one, there was Maddison as well, there was lots!”
Why Kai Havertz is right for Arsenal
Alexis Mac Allister is undoubtedly a fine player, who has impressed for Liverpool. Meanwhile, Arsenal were linked with a move for James Maddison, prior to his switch to Tottenham Hotspur. However, they are both very different players to Havertz.
It is, in fact, the Germany international’s profile as a player that Bothroyd has an issue with. As he continued to state, “what position is he? To be honest, when I see him play his best football, that was when he was playing in Germany and he was playing as a number 10.”
“He’s trying to find his feet, but he’s been in the Premier League for many years now, that’s my problem.”
Havertz is a hard player to define and pin down. He has a languid style, yet presses hard and makes countless runs. He is deceptively quick and strong. His finishing often looks unconvincing, yet he has previously been clinical in front of goal at key moments. He keeps his passing simple, yet it is effective. His technique and first touch can be dazzling at times, on other occasions he appears clumsy.
It his been suggested that this jumble of attributes that Havertz possesses is precisely what drew Arteta to the player. Rather than being someone who excels in one position, he players between several, often all in the same match.
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