Kai Havertz arrives at Arsenal with a big point to prove

Lothar Matthaus is not an easy man to impress. The German great’s ego is as inflated as the price of Freddo chocolate bar (apologies if you’re not from the UK), and dishing out praise doesn’t come easy. However, the 1991 FIFA World Footballer of the Year couldn’t have been more effusive in his assessment of Bayer Leverkusen hotshot Kai Havertz.

“If Havertz can maintain this high level, with that lightness, cleverness, presence on the pitch and scoring goals, then he could eventually become my successor as a World Footballer of the Year,” Matthaus said at the end of the 2018/19 Bundesliga campaign, essentially projecting Havertz as a potential future Ballon d’Or winner.

Praise doesn’t get loftier than that, especially from someone of Matthaus’ standing.

While in retrospect such an assessment seems hyperbolic, at the time it appeared completely rational. A blossoming Havertz had emerged as an utterly unique and precocious talent at Leverkusen, scoring 17 goals in 34 Bundesliga games in 2018/19. For some, he was the second coming of master raumdeuter Thomas Muller, only more athletic. Havertz was a freakish talent.

Thus, after he excelled in 2019/20 in a myriad of roles under Peter Bosz, it was no surprise that Europe’s elite came calling and it was Chelsea who secured his signature for a whopping £75m.

However, the Blues’ major coup proved to be pretty indifferent. The German was seen as flaky and inefficient at Stamford Bridge, and he struggled to endear himself to supporters despite scoring one of the most significant goals in the club’s history in the 2021 Champions League final.

As a result, many Chelsea fans are apathetic towards his departure and content with only making a £10m loss. Overall, it’s a pretty sad tale considering the hype with which he arrived and the talent he so distinctly has. What happened to that kid with Ballon d’Or potential?

The task is now Mikel Arteta’s to help reignite the flame from within the maturing 24-year-old.

Kai Havertz arrives at Arsenal with a big point to prove

Havertz’s record at Chelsea was poor given his advanced position. The German often operated up top and returned just 32 goals in 139 games. Despite glimmers of majesty and improved performances in the Champions League, Havertz is yet to cut the mustard consistently in the Premier League, there’s no disputing that.

As a result, Arsenal’s move for the Chelsea man raised plenty of eyebrows among Arsenal supporters. Was this a profile the Gunners required at this stage of their rebuild? Sceptics initially manifested, especially when the terms of the deal were understood, but gradually, fans are warming to the idea of Havertz playing within Arteta’s framework, especially after the boss hinted the German will be spending plenty of time in midfield.

While he’s rarely operated as a left-sided #8, there’s scope for the savvy German to excel in the role Granit Xhaka made his own last season. This is a player Arteta evidently appreciates, and we’d be foolish to write both the manager off given his recent track record on the recruitment front, as well as Havertz considering just how much he has to prove after three mediocre years at the Bridge.

“It’s super exciting for me to be joining this amazing club and to be part of the Arsenal family,” the new boy said after his arrival was confirmed. “This club has such a big history, and I hope we can achieve lots of things.”

This is a player that’s thrilled to be in north London and ready to play under a manager who’s set to offer him a new lease of life in the Premier League. Havertz’s Bundesliga brilliance hasn’t escaped him, nor has his profile as an ‘alleskonner’, a jack of all trades, diminished.

There’s a serious footballer within the 24-year-old, one that’s been locked away for the past three years. While there was an expectation to shine from the get-go in west London, Arsenal’s competence as a collective combined with the overshadowing £105m arrival of Declan Rice should take the microscope off Havertz to start his Arsenal career.

Sure, the fee is big and we’re yet to see the best Kai Havertz manifest on these shores, but this is a move with plenty of upside.