Arsenal boss Mike Arteta’s praise of Kai Havertz indicates major Chelsea transfer error
Kai Havertz received praise from Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta after scoring a brace against his former club Chelsea in a 5-0 win. The Gunners dominated the Blues at the Emirates, handing them one of their biggest defeats in history.
Havertz, who joined Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen, is now showcasing his talent at Arsenal, justifying the significant investment made to bring him to North London. The 23-year-old has scored 11 Premier League goals this season.
Despite struggling to make a significant impact at Chelsea following his transfer, Havertz has found his form at Arsenal and is proving to be a valuable asset. After his transfer from Bayer Leverkusen, he has become an important player for Arsenal.
And now his time under Arteta seems to be coming to fruition after he has already recorded double-digit goals, and the Spanish manager lauded his performance against Chelsea and told BBC Sport:
“His overall contribution in every phase of play was tremendous. When you add the two goals he scored and some of the link-up play that he had in big moments, [it was] a great performance.’’
We cannot argue against the decision to sanction the German’s sale because, at the time, Chelsea had a bloated squad, and Havertz didn’t demonstrate why he deserved to stay. Moreover, his sale generated a satisfactory fee, and in his stead, we acquired Cole Palmer, who has proven to be an excellent addition to the team.
Maybe Arteta has finally unlocked his full potential, a feat that eluded Chelsea during his four-year tenure. Despite his significant transfer to the Blues, he struggled to make a lasting impression. While it’s understandable for players to take time to settle, four years without significant impact raised questions about the value of the investment. After all, there is no guarantee Havertz might have put up the same level of performances had he stayed at Stamford Bridge.
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He’s been deployed both as a striker and behind the forward at Arsenal, though his performance in the first half of the season was underwhelming. However, Arteta seems to have unlocked his best form at Arsenal, as he appears to be adapting well to his new surroundings.