Arsenal have agreed a deal with Chelsea to sign Kai Havertz for £60million with a further £5million in add-ons football.london understands. The German international is expected to complete a medical before officially switching across London.
The player endured three tough years with Chelsea although managed to highlight his quality in a side which, specifically last season, struggled with inconsistency and instability. Havertz arrived in England from Bayer Leverkusen having flourished in the Bundesliga as an attacking midfielder but was mainly used as a forward by Frank Lampard, Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.
Mikel Arteta was instrumental in convincing Havertz that his future would be better suited with the Gunners as he progresses into his prime years as a player, football.london understands. The 24-year-old is expected to add to the competitive strength of the Arsenal side as they return to the Champions League, a competition which Havertz scored the winning goal in the final against Manchester City.
His versatility could see him line-up at centre-forward, in midfield instead of Martin Odegaard or even alongside the Norwegian with something of a two-pronged attacking central midfield line-up. Havertz was responsible for the most Chelsea goals, shots on target, chances created, successful aerial duels, possession won in the final third and duels won, according to Squawka.
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Despite what many see as a shell of the player seen in Leverkusen, the numbers effectively reveal that Arsenal have landed Chelsea’s best player. As the Blues struggle to make sense of their massive spending and shape the squad for new coach Mauricio Pochettino, Arteta is now facing a revival project.
If the Spaniard can make good on his promise and bring the best from Havertz, Arsenal might have got themselves one of the deals of the summer. The club certainly saw this as a case of being too good to miss.
