It looks like Kai Havertz is set to become Arsenal's first signing of the summer transfer window, something that few would have predicted less than a month ago.
The Gunners are said to be close to an agreement to sign the German international from London rivals Chelsea in a deal worth around £65million. Havertz has already agreed personal terms with his new suitors, meaning a medical will likely be done in the coming days provided everything else goes to plan.
But there remains a number of unanswered questions surrounding this deal, including what the 24-year-old's best position is. Some supporters have argued that he has played his best football in a deeper role but Havertz operated across the frontline in the majority of his time with the Blues, earning comparisons to Robin van Persie from Arsenal icon Thierry Henry in the process.
But midfield seems to be the position that he will be utilised in for the Gunners, according to recent reports. The Athletic have claimed that the north London club are convinced that Havertz is the perfect replacement for Granit Xhaka - who occupied the left-sided No.8 role last term in Mikel Arteta's line-up.
The Swiss captain thrived in an area that allowed him to avoid a significant role in the build-up phase, pushing into the final third frequently whilst left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko operated alongside Thomas Partey as the defacto pivot in possession. Both Xhaka and the team benefited from this massively, with the 30-year-old netting seven goals and providing a further seven assists in last season's Premier League campaign.
The Bayer Leverkusen-bound star was able to arrive late into the box for cutbacks - similar to Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard on the right side of the midfield three. This is a role that Havertz would likely thrive in, with the German playmaker previously revealing that kind of space is where he thrives.
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Speaking to the Athletic back in 2021, he said: "More or less, I’m a midfield player but I like to go into the box, and maybe that’s why not every defensive player has me on their mind - I just run through the midfield and then I’m there." The difficulties for Havertz, however, may arrive on the defensive end.
Xhaka's knack for winning his duels and competing for second balls was crucial for Arsenal. In fact, in the two Premier League matches he didn't start, the Gunners conceded five times - often caught out in transition.
The task for Havertz will likely be to improve in that regard whilst Arteta may even decide against playing Havertz and Zinchenko together in the bigger games given the defensive inefficiencies that could follow from that duo when the north Londoners are out of possession.
