"Kai Havertz is a top-quality player. He possesses incredible versatility and intelligent gameplay," stated Mikel Arteta in his first remarks following Arsenal's announcement of their first signing in the 2023 summer transfer window.
Arteta eagerly anticipates the upcoming days of work, saying, "Kai will bring great strength to supplement our midfield and help diversify our playing style."
Chelsea's sale of Kai Havertz left many Stamford Bridge fans disappointed. In contrast, Arsenal fans are delighted to welcome the German player who scored the latest goal in a Champions League final.
In 2021, at Estadio do Dragao in Porto, Portugal, Kai Havertz scored the only goal that helped Chelsea overcome Manchester City and clinch the most prestigious club trophy in European football.
To date, Kai Havertz is the most expensive transfer in English football and ranks second globally.
Arsenal had to pay their neighbors Chelsea a fee of £60 million ($70 million), along with future clauses worth £5 million. The most expensive deal is Real Madrid's purchase of Jude Bellingham for a fee of €103 million.
The signing of the former Leverkusen player also elevates Arsenal to having the second-highest squad value in the Premier League.
According to Transfermarkt, Arsenal's squad is valued at a total of €1.05 billion. Topping the list is Manchester City, who recently welcomed Mateo Kovacic and bid farewell to captain Ilkay Gundogan, with a value of €1.15 billion.
"Kai is an important addition to the Arsenal squad. He will bring exceptional attacking quality and flexibility to the team," said Technical Director Edu, unable to hide his happiness when he brought this "marquee signing" to the Emirates Stadium.
Edu has also reached an agreement with Ajax for young center-back Jurrien Timber. The former Brazilian midfielder is currently striving to complete the historic target for the Gunners: breaking the record to secure the signature of Declan Rice from West Ham.
Arsenal has always followed a policy of building a squad based on young stars. This was the foundation for their runners-up position in the previous Premier League season.
One of the reasons Arsenal decided to invest in Kai Havertz is because he is still very young. At the age of 24, the German player already has a wealth of international experience and still has the potential to further develop at a higher level.
But the reason goes beyond that, with the flexibility and tactical effectiveness that Kai Havertz can bring.
In his three seasons with Chelsea, Kai has averaged 0.40 goals per 90 minutes of play. Specifically, 0.29 goals and 0.11 decisive assists.
In the Champions League, including his time at Leverkusen, his goal involvement ratio is 0.31 (0.20 goals + 0.11 assists).
Last season, amidst Chelsea's ongoing crisis, Kai's efficiency decreased slightly to 0.25 goals and 0.04 assists per 90 minutes. However, he still stood out in the Champions League, scoring 0.29 goals (with no assists).
Moreover, Kai Havertz is highly versatile, capable of playing in various positions from midfield to attack. In other words, he can compete for a spot with any of Arsenal's stars from last season, such as Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, or Martin Odegaard.
While awaiting the arrival of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz acts as the versatile key to help Mikel Arteta solve the goal-scoring aspect.
In the past season, Arsenal fell short in the Premier League title race against Manchester City partly due to their struggles when facing defensively-oriented opponents. The Gunners came away empty-handed and failed to score against Nottingham Forest and Everton, two relegation-threatened teams, and drew 1-1 with Southampton, despite having approximately 60% ball possession.
With Kai Havertz, Mikel Arteta has an important weapon to construct new attacking options, not only for Premier League conquest but also for positive results in the Champions League.
