Why did Arsenal spend money to buy Havertz?

Versatility and potential for development in a stable group are the reasons Arsenal agreed to spend 83 million USD to recruit Kai Havertz from Chelsea.

Both a striker and a midfielder, Havertz has rarely looked completely comfortable in his role at Stamford Bridge. The German has played under three Chelsea managers, operating in a number of systems, but to this day, experts have yet to determine what his best position is. Even the famous coach Thomas Tuchel, when he was in charge of Chelsea, could not answer this question about his compatriot, although he admitted that he was a unique player. He once asked himself, "Does Havertz need to settle in one specific position? Or should he continue to play in many positions?"

But according to the Telegraph, with a transfer fee of $84 million, coach Mikel Arteta clearly has strong ideas about how to get the most out of the 24-year-old. A big part of Havertz’s appeal to Arsenal is his versatility. Arteta and sporting director Edu often target players who can play in multiple positions, and Havertz fits the bill.

Havertz scores during a London derby between Chelsea and Arsenal. Photo: chelseafc.com

But versatility alone doesn’t make a player worth more than $80 million. This isn’t a fee Arsenal are paying for a player who is simply a replacement for their star attackers who can’t play. The expectation on the German is much greater than helping Arsenal rotate their squad and lighten the load on their strikers.

So what else does Havertz bring to Arsenal? One of the simpler answers is height. At 6ft 3in, the German offers Arteta another physical frame in attack, with none of Arsenal’s current strikers taller than 6ft 4in. Furthermore, none of them are particularly adept at finishing high balls.

Havertz is not a push-and-pull striker, but he can score impressively in the air and knows how to find space in the box. Of the 32 goals he has scored for Chelsea, 10 have been headers. "Havertz is very comfortable in advanced positions and is very good at heading. He is in the right place at the right time in the box, calm, and finishes well," Tuchel said in 2021.

Havertz has often played as a striker at Chelsea, but his best football – as he did at Leverkusen – has come from a deeper position. If Havertz were to join Arsenal, playing him in an attacking midfield role alongside Martin Odegaard would be an intriguing idea for long-time followers of the Germany international.

Of course, there are defensive demands in that role that may be outside Havertz’s usual skill set. But if he can drift between midfield and attack when Arsenal are in possession, picking his moments to exploit the space behind the defence and penetrate the penalty area, the 1999-born player would bring a different kind of agility and trickery to the Gunners’ attacking play.

Havertz beat goalkeeper Ederson to score to help Chelsea beat Man City 1-0 in the 2021 Champions League final. Photo: Reuters

According to the Telegraph , Havertz can play as a "false 9" instead of Gabriel Jesus, or play deep behind the Brazilian player. Havertz's presence will also allow Jesus to move to the right more, reducing the burden on Bukayo Saka.

Arsenal have always thrived with players operating between the lines, rather than in fixed positions. In the Premier League era, the most successful of these was Dutch legend Dennis Bergkamp. Tuchel has compared Havertz to Bergkamp, ​​as has former striker Robin van Persie.

The Telegraph notes that there are some doubts about Havertz's physical and mental fitness. This is a big risk for Arsenal, with the question being whether the German can handle the psychological pressure of playing for one of the biggest clubs in Europe.

Havertz has admitted to feeling the pressure of the $114 million fee Chelsea paid to sign him from Leverkusen in 2020. He has said that his first six months at Stamford Bridge were the most challenging of his career. Havertz joined his new club during the Covid-19 pandemic and had to interrupt his playing career. In an interview with DAZN earlier this year, the 24-year-old admitted: "Consistency has always been important in my career. I lost it sometimes."

Interim coach Frank Lampard consoled Havertz after Chelsea's defeat at the end of last season's Premier League. The chaos at the club affected Havertz, who was unable to maintain his progress. Photo: Reuters

Along with the Covid-19 restrictions, Havertz has also been hampered by the chaos at Chelsea. In the past two years, the club has changed ownership, used different coaches with different squads, recruited a series of new players and received disastrous results. Even the most talented young strikers have failed to develop in such a climate.

Havertz used Jorginho as an example to illustrate Chelsea's turmoil in 2022-23. "I played with Jorginho for two-and-a-half years and loved spending time with him," Havertz told the Guardian . "And then Jorginho called me one evening and said he was leaving the club. I was like, 'What the hell? How is this possible?' That's how quickly things change." Jorginho, now an Arsenal player, would have spoken to his junior striker about a move to the Emirates.

"None of this is to excuse Havertz, who has certainly underperformed for much of his time at Chelsea, apart from his goal in the 2021 Champions League final. But the turmoil at Stamford Bridge provides a useful context. Arsenal believe that, in a more stable group, at a less volatile club, Havertz will be able to fulfil his enormous potential," commented the Telegraph .

Hong Duy (according to Telegraph )

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