According to various reports, Kai Havertz has agreed a deal to become Arsenal's first signing of the summer from Chelsea.
The 24-year-old has struggled to make things work in West London, tried out in various positions under different managers at Stamford Bridge. With the recent transfer of the highly-regarded Christopher Nkunku and talents such as Noni Madueke and Mykhailo Mudryk waiting in the wings, it seems that the German midfielder may need to make the switch imminently to avoid being shifted out of the team completely.
The fee is reported to be in the region of £65 million - a record fee for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta since he arrived in December 2019. The deal comes as a shock to some Arsenal fans, considering that the team boast enough attacking talent and would probably prefer a centre-forward or an added focus on the depth in the backline.
What does Arteta see?
4 years ago, Kai Havertz was one of the hottest prospects in the world. He held the status of being the youngest debutant in the Bundesliga for Bayer Leverkusen, making the huge step at only 17 years old and breaking records left, right and centre.
He was even forced to miss a crucial Champions League fixture against Atletico Madrid that he had been called up for so that he could finish his exams at school.
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In 2019, the young midfielder was runner-up to Marco Reus in the vote for the German Footballer of the Year award, placing higher than other stars such as Joshua Kimmich of Bayern Munich.
He arrived in London in 2020 with an initial £62 million price tag, raising expectations immediately. While Havertz has struggled to fit in under the numerous managers that Chelsea have had over the course of the past two seasons, he hasn't been as bad as reports suggest.
The 24-year-old contributed 11 goal contributions this season in all competitions in a side that massively underachieved, were mismanaged and had times of real unclarity about the future of the football club.
He was also one of the contributing factors to Chelsea's Champions League success in 2021, scoring the only goal in the final to pivot the Blues to the top of the rankings and win the prestigious trophy for the second time in their history.
There's no doubt that Arteta sees the Bayer Leverkusen version of Kai Havertz that is still ready to operate in a more mature system, but it is not to say that the Spaniard is taking a huge risk with the high fee on him.
Where would he fit in?
In all honesty, no-one quite knows where Havertz's best position is at the moment. He has struggled immensely to operate as a lone striker which is something that Chelsea have required of him recently. The German has also had stints in a right-forward position where he had some success, but it still appeared forced and unnatural.
Arteta has been using various combinations of a standard 4-3-3 across last season, using Thomas Partey as the main central midfielder, allowing Martin Ødegaard to control the field as an attacking midfielder while Granit Xhaka and Oleksandr Zinchenko played inverted roles as full-backs and box-to-box midfielders.
The Gunners' top target is Declan Rice, which is viewed as an ideal replacement for the outgoing Granit Xhaka who ironically is making the switch to Leverkusen this summer.
Therefore, Havertz may be the missing key to the introduction of a new system incorporating two number 10s in the form of skipper Martin Ødegaard and the new arrival. It would also allow Emile Smith Rowe to fight for the starting spot that he has lost due to a long-term injury sustained early in the 2022/23 season. The 22-year-old has been in sensational form on international duty with the England U21s, scoring in consecutive matches to direct the Three Lions into the knockout rounds of the U21 Euros.
However, Arteta has tried to play Ødegaard alongside another 10 in the form of Fabio Vieira, who has not been able to flourish under the Spaniard since his arrival from Porto. In saying that, Vieira is more technical on the ball while Havertz's hold-up play and tall frame allow him to link the attacking phases together much better.
Alternatively, the German midfielder could play at the top either as a substitute for Gabriel Jesus or with him as a left and right forward duo. This seems the unlikely choice considering Havertz's potential in an attacking midfield role.
In an exclusive interview with the Spanish website Marca, Mikel Arteta stated that his new addition is a 'talented, versatile player and he is only 24 years old', suggesting that his ability to adapt to both the positions stated and elsewhere in the attack is one of the reasons that the Gunners boss has convinced the owners to fork out a large fee to acquire his services.
What's the conclusion?
This is a good start to Arsenal's transfer window. Martin Ødegaard only missed one match for the Gunners in the Premier League last season and adding some more attacking flair to the frontline will only make Arsenal appear more as a title-winning prospect.
Havertz is not only young but experienced. He offers versatility when other key players may be out with injury and remains a goalscoring threat despite his lack of confidence recently.
With personal terms reportedly agreed for both Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice, the acquisition of these three players are all good moves ahead of strengthening the team and working to improve on the weaknesses that may have cost them from obtaining their first Premier League title since 2004.
