Are we being too harsh on Kai Havertz?

Arsenal signed Kai Havertz from Chelsea in a big-money move in the summer of 2023, but the German international has failed to impress so far. 

The 24-year-old’s move to the Emirates was controversial from the very beginning, with many fans unsure how his underwhelming form for our London rivals Chelsea warranted interest from the club in the first place.

At this moment in time, the doubters appear to be correct, with the German failing to make his mark at the Emirates this season. However, given he has made just Premier League appearances at this point, the question remains – are we as a fanbase being too harsh on Kai Havertz?

Are we being too harsh on Kai Havertz?

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The price tag

Unfortunately for Havertz, given the fact that he was signed for a reported fee of £65m, he was always going to come under heavy scrutiny.

Of course, that is partially unfair as the playmaker was not the one who decided how much he would cost, but big price tags inevitably bring pressure. Therefore, the most important thing to do in such a scenario is hit the ground running, as Declan Rice has done which has helped ease the pressure on the England international after he too was signed for big money.

However, with zero goals, as well as zero assists to his name at this point, you could be forgiven for believing that it currently looks as though we have overpaid for the German’s services.

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Havertz’s Chelsea career

Additionally, a look at Havertz’s Chelsea career further suggests that we did perhaps overpay for the 24-year-old. However, as mentioned, Havertz did not choose his price and therefore, raising expectations based purely on price tag alone is harsh.

Deployed primarily as a forward for the Blues, Havertz mustered 47 goal contributions in 139 appearances for the club, meaning that the German contributed to a goal just under once every three games.

A return of that nature means that judging Havertz on goals and assists is perhaps unfair, as he is clearly a player who during his time at Chelsea, was never prolific in this regard. Add to that the fact that he is mainly being used in a deeper role under Mikel Arteta, and it should be no surprise that he has so far failed to register either a goal or an assist at the club at this stage.

With those stats in mind, it seems unlikely that Arteta would have envisaged Haverzs becoming a major goalscoring threat in the side. If the manager doesn’t judge Havertz on goals and assists, then it only seems logical to suggest that we as a fanbase shouldn’t either.

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Havertz needs time

For absolute clarity, I feel it necessary to make clear that I do not personally believe Havertz will ever be worth the money we paid for him, although I do, of course, want to be proven wrong, and for that to happen, the player needs time.

Not just time to fully settle into the club, but also time to fully comprehend precisely what his new manager wants from him – after all, he is being played in a position in which he has scarcely been deployed before.

While I do not expect his goal output to drastically improve, Havertz must improve the basics and begin to affect the game far more than he is currently doing. While I don’t personally think the Havertz move will work out in the end, I do still believe that we are being far too harsh on the 24-year-old and must remember that he is still a young player learning a new position.

With that being said, it may be wise for Arteta to drop Havertz to the bench ahead of our clash with Manchester United this weekend, not just because I believe a midfield of Thomas Partey, Rice and Odegaard is currently our strongest option, but also to take the player out of the limelight and allow him to grow in confidence over time.