Arsenal player could make surprise January exit to club he nearly joined before

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There was a lot of surprise in the summer transfer window as Arsenal bought Kai Havertz, but the German could have ended up elsewhere.

Prior to his big-money move across London, reports indicated that Havertz was actually set to join Spanish giants Real Madrid.

However, Real Madrid did not want to pay a fee exceeding around £40m, and the deal collapsed. Arsenal then swooped in and secured a deal for £65m, but Havertz has disappointed in the early stages of his career at the Emirates.

Arsenal could look to offload Havertz

A report from Spanish outlet Defensa Central has now claimed that having initially snatched Havertz from Real Madrid’s clutches, Arsenal could offload Havertz to Los Blancos in January, with the club willing to sell at around €40m (£34m).

This would come as a surprise despite Havertz’s poor form, given the fee invested on him and his wages, but perhaps Arsenal may be eager to avoid another situation like Nicolas Pepe’s, where a club record signing ended up mutually terminating his contract four years after his arrival.

The report also highlights that Real Madrid rarely do business in the January transfer window, and Carlo Ancelotti has recently stated that they will not look to sign anyone in winter.

How much time does Havertz have?

The astronomical fee Arsenal paid Chelsea for the 24-year-old has meant there is a lot of pressure on Havertz to start delivering, but his performance in Saturday’s defeat to Newcastle showed promising signs.

Whilst it does feel unlikely that Arsenal will sell Havertz in January, if he continues to struggle by the end of the season, a decision may have to be made.

Havertz is one of Arsenal’s highest earners, and given his well-publicised struggles, not only would it be difficult to find a buyer, but the club will almost certainly make a huge loss on him, perhaps further highlighting why there were so many question marks about his arrival.