TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole is ‘convinced’ that Kai Havertz will now flourish at Arsenal playing under Mikel Arteta after the Gunners sealed an ‘astute’ transfer from Chelsea.
The 24-year-old became the Gunners’ first signing of the summer this June after joining on a five-year contract. Arsenal paid Chelsea an initial £62.5m, rising to £67.5m after add-ons, for Havertz. He quit Stamford Bridge as a Champions League winner after three seasons in Blue.
Chelsea brought Havertz to the Premier League back in September 2020 for Frank Lampard after dazzling with Bayer Leverkusen. The German showed great attacking potential while in the Bundesliga. But his move to west London did not always see Havertz perform at his best.
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Havertz will now earn a defined role after his transfer to Arsenal
Stamford Bridge’s managerial merry-go-round in Lampard, Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Lampard again thwarted Havertz’s Chelsea career. He seldom enjoyed a defined role for the Blues. Coaches regularly shifted the playmaker between a midfield or an attacking place.
Havertz enjoyed a total of 139 appearances with Chelsea, including 69 starts as a striker and 54 as an attacking midfielder. He offered 21 and 10 goals through those outings respectively, plus five and 10 assists. The 37-cap playmaker left with a combined 32 goals and 15 assists.
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Arsenal believe Havertz can still unlock the potential he first showed at Bayer Leverkusen, so secured his transfer from Chelsea. Arteta will also offer the Aachen native a defined role for the Gunners. He has taken over Granit Xhaka’s role as the club’s left-sided central midfielder.
Cole backs Havertz to excel playing under Arteta after his transfer
Arteta can also take advantage of Havertz’s ability to play as a centre-forward to further give reason for Arsenal’s transfer. While former Chelsea midfielder Cole believes Havertz will now show what he brings Arteta, despite Declan Rice’s club-record transfer getting vast acclaim.
“He’s a fabulous signing,” Cole said on TNT Sports Ultimate (12/08, 12:15). “I think it’s a very astute signing. He’s a young player, I’ve seen him have days at Chelsea where he’s looked like a world-beater and days when it didn’t work. But I think there’s a lot more in him.
“Declan Rice, everyone was giving him all the fanfare. Havertz was the one where people were like, ‘is it [a good move]? Isn’t it?’. I’m convinced this lad is a top, top player and will flourish under Arteta.”