Why Kai Havertz would be a smart signing for Arsenal

Kai Havertz has had a mixed time at Chelsea. The player will likely feel it has been an underwhelming period in his career, but a match-winning goal in a Champions League final is an experience that will write his name in the club’s history books.

Arsenal have been linked with a move by several outlets. It is now widely accepted that the German international is most likely to be playing his football at the Emirates Stadium next season. Some have been confused by the Gunners’ interest in the forward, with a fee of £60 million. This is a lot of money for a forward who has scored just 19 Premier League goals in three seasons.

However, he was once lauded as a world class talent, when he broke through at Leverkusen. Havertz contributed 29 goals and nine assists in his final two seasons in the Bundesliga. He became a more consistent goal threat, but it was his unique playing style that caught the attention.

Havertz is tall for a forward, but he is mobile and has an excellent reading of the game. The German regularly finds pockets of space. Rather than being a traditional number nine, he likes to drop in and link the game. This would make him a perfect fit for Arsenal, as their main goal threats play out wide.

Although there are some differences between Gabriel Jesus and Havertz, you can see why Arteta views them as good fits for the number nine role. There are similarities in their movement and attacking intelligence. Jesus is a bigger goal threat, as shown by his average of 0.56 non-penalty expected goals (npxG) per ninety minutes, compared to Havertz’s average of 0.36.

Chelsea were an inferior team to Arsenal last season, but Jesus is also more aggressive in his running in behind. The biggest frustration with the Brazilian is that he misses a lot of his big chances. He underperformed his xG for last season by exactly 3.

Havertz has had similar issues with underperformance, as he underachieved his xG by 4.6, a bigger margin than Jesus. Since moving to England, the 24-year-old has never found his rhythm and that will have had a negative impact on his confidence. There is reason to believe that Havertz can be a better finisher in the right system. In his final two seasons in Germany, he outperformed his xG. This is evidence that he can be better in front of goal.

Arsenal need more strength in depth if they are to compete on multiple fronts. During the last two seasons, fatigue has hindered them in the latter parts of the season. Havertz would be a quality addition, who can compete with Jesus. The German could also play in some of the midfield roles.

As a Champions League winner, he would add experience to a squad that does lack it at the highest level. For Havertz, he would be moving into a more settled system with a highly respected coach. It could help him get back to his best and develop into the player that many believe he can be.

It is a move that makes sense for all parties.

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