"We will see the real Havertz" - Pundit tips ex-Chelsea star to shine at Arsenal, names ideal position for him in the Gunners XI
Former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann has backed former Chelsea forward Kai Havertz to do well at Arsenal in a position just off the striker.
The Gunners signed Havertz from their London rivals Chelsea for £65 million earlier this summer. He made his debut in a pre-season friendly against Nurnberg but was unable to make an impact in his 45 minutes on the pitch. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.
There has been a lot of speculation regarding Havertz's potential position at the Emirates. The German was often used as a centre-forward while at Chelsea but he has operated well in midfield as well.
Sharing his thoughts on Havertz's optimal position, Hamann told Lord Ping:
"I think Kai Havertz’s best position is up front, just off the main striker. I think he’ll play with Gabriel Jesus, up top. Arsenal are a team that likes to pass the ball a lot more than Chelsea, and I think that will suit Havertz."
He added:
"We will see the real Havertz that we saw at Bayer Leverkusen when he was 17 and scoring important goals. I remember when he was still in school and Havertz scored a goal that stopped Bayer Leverkusen from being relegated.
"Havertz is the player to watch out for, he’ll be a different player this season coming."
Hamann reckons Havertz will play better with a traditional No. 9 but also shared his optimism in the German's ability to link up with Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus. He said:
"Havertz would play better with an out-and-out number nine, someone like Romelu Lukaku, Harry Kane or Robert Lewandowski, as they keep defenders occupied which gives Havertz the space he needs."
He added:
"Gabriel Jesus drifts wide, but we’ve seen how brilliant of a player he can be and it wouldn’t surprise me to see them link up well together."
Havertz will next be in action when Arsenal take on the MLS All-Stars in their US pre-season tour on July 20.
Arsenal forward Kai Havertz's numbers for Chelsea and more
Kai Havertz joined the youth setups of a couple of German clubs like Maridorf and Aachen before finally joining Bayer Leverkusen Youth in 2010. He made his senior debut for the club in 2016 and registered 46 goals and 31 assists in 150 games.
Havertz's excellent performances earned him a £75 million move to Chelsea in 2020. He left his mark on the club in his first season itself, scoring the winning goal in their 1-0 win over Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League final.
Despite that, though, Havertz has often been criticized for a lack of clinical touch in front of goal. Overall, he scored 32 goals and provided 15 assists in 139 games for Chelsea.