Mikel Arteta went above and beyond to convince Kai Havertz that joining Arsenal in the summer of 2023 was the right move for him to make.
Arsenal invested heavily in Kai Havertz to prise him away from Chelsea, as Mikel Arteta surprised many by showing such faith in the player.
After all, the German had hardly set the world alight in his time at Stamford Bridge. Where were definite highlights, including scoring the winner in a Champions League final, but overall his three-year stint in West London was generally underwhelming.
Havertz was called the worst signing of the summer when he arrived at the Emirates Stadium, and he certainly didn’t silence his critics immediately.
The 25-year-old seemed bereft of confidence when he arrived in North London. Arteta’s attempt to reinvent Havertz as a midfielder did not help either.
However, everything changed halfway through last season, when the Spanish coach installed Havertz up front. He was given a new lease of life and has not looked back since.
He has started the new season in blistering form. Havertz even equalled a Robin van Persie record recently, as he netted in seven consecutive outings at the Emirates Stadium. He is now firmly established as the first choice to lead the line for Arsenal.
How Mikel Arteta convinced Kai Havertz to join Arsenal
It is clear now that Arteta has delivered on the dream he sold Havertz when he first attempted to coax him to Arsenal.
The Athletic have now detailed the inside story of how the manager convinced Havertz to make the move.
They state: “Some 90 minutes change the course of a footballer’s whole career. Most of them tend to occur on a pitch but for Havertz, the crossroads moment occurred on an hour-and-a-half-long video call.
“He was holidaying in Greece last summer when Arteta got in touch to try to convince him that Arsenal should be his next home.”
The former Arsenal captain proceeded to deliver a bespoke presentation to Havertz. The message was clear: “Within minutes of their conversation starting, Havertz realised this was not just an analysis of him as a footballer. It was an analysis of him as a human being and what makes him feel complete… They had spent time finding out about his true character.
“The message was that he was not being pursued with the short term in mind. Arsenal had a clear vision of what a fully-confident Havertz looked like and how that manifested itself in their team.
“Arteta explained how he would build the jigsaw so all the components of a caring and nurturing environment were there for the Germany international to express himself.”
Kai Havertz repaying Mikel Arteta’s faith
Arteta has been proven right in his belief in Havertz. The striker is now an integral figure for the Gunners, and is under pressure to maintain his current standards.
If Arsenal are to achieve their aims for this season, then it is vital that Havertz is able to remain fit and firing on all cylinders.
If he can fire the club to a Premier League title this season, then he may even go down as one of the best signings in the club’s history, after having once been deemed such a poor purchase.
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