Why Arsenal’s interest in Kai Havertz is curious at best

The transfer window loves to throw up a surprise, and Arsenal supporters have been treated to an early one. 

The Gunners are expected to make multiple additions this summer, and while Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Jesus each enjoyed productive seasons, superior depth is required behind Mikel Arteta’s starting options.

Links to forwards have been tenuous so far this summer, but reports have emerged regarding the club’s surprisingly ‘genuine’ interest in Chelsea’s Kai Havertz.

Gunners have ‘genuine’ interest in Chelsea forward

https://twitter.com/afcstuff/status/1668968289932853251

The Telegraph’s Matt Law was the first to note Arsenal’s interest in the German international, and aresblog understands said interest is legit.

Havertz joined Chelsea off the back of several stellar years at Bayer Leverkusen, where he starred in a Thomas Muller-esque raumdeuter role before Peter Bosz successfully experimented with him as a false nine. However, he’s often been tasked with performing a more typical centre-forward function since arriving in the Premier League, with both his form and output suffering as a result.

The 24-year-old has scored 32 times in 139 appearances for Chelsea and just 19 in 91 Premier League games. In 2022/23, Havertz scored seven in 35 league appearances. In comparison, the former Leverkusen starlet notched double-digit scoring seasons during his final two Bundesliga campaigns, including a 17-goal season in 2018/19.

Overall, I firmly believe Havertz has been misprofiled, and Mauricio Pochettino could be the man to reignite his Chelsea career. The Argentinian often deployed a 4-2-3-1 at Tottenham and utilised Dele Alli in a free-roaming role off the shoulder of Harry Kane. Havertz could be used similarly in Poch’s system at Chelsea if the Blues were to acquire a centre forward this summer.

Nevertheless, Havertz is reportedly on the market despite this potential, but clubs have been told they’ll have to pay £70m for his signature. Matt Law adds that while Arsenal are interested in signing the German, Chelsea will have to drop their valuation for the Gunners to think about striking a deal. The Blues signed Havertz for £75.8m when his stock was at an all-time high three years ago.

That certainly isn’t the case now.

Kai Havertz doesn’t make a lot of sense for Arsenal

That’s what makes Arsenal’s interest curious. Mikel Arteta is not going to deviate from the 4-3-3 which becomes a 3-2-5 in possession, meaning there isn’t much room for a player of Havertz’s profile. The languid German is not a centre-forward (he’s underperformed his xG in each of his three seasons at Chelsea), although he might be used more effectively as a false nine while being flanked by Martinelli and Saka. But, is it worth splashing out on a player to perform such a role when you’ve got the likes of Jesus and Leandro Trossard who can already perform it to a high enough standard?

If Arteta is keen on Havertz, he must view him as a potential candidate for performing the advanced #8 role opposite Martin Odegaard – he’d be much better suited to Odegaard’s current position in the right half-space, but there’s no way Arteta alters his midfield dynamics to facilitate the German. Nevertheless, performing as an advanced eight would allow Havertz to access more favourable zones and allow him to receive in between the lines and ghost in behind defences as Granit Xhaka often did in 2022/23. Positional interchanges would also ensure Havertz spends plenty of time in the central space, where he can arrive late into the box and cause damage, which he so often did during his time in the Bundesliga.

But while the role would suit him when the Gunners have the ball, questions arise without possession. In Arteta’s 4-4-2 pressing structure, Odegaard would join the first pressing line with Xhaka covering in the pivot. Havertz certainly doesn’t have the capacity to replicate Xhaka’s role without the ball, so Arteta would be forced to utilise Odegaard in the pivot with the German pressing in the front two.

Thus, even the most rational explanation for Arsenal’s interest (potentially using him in Xhaka’s role) comes with plenty of questions. Given the player’s price tag, the Gunners would be wise to move on.