Darren Bent questions the signing of Kai Havertz. Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Darren Bent questioned Mikel Arteta’s choice to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea.
Havertz is expected to join the Gunners as their first summer acquisition, according to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano. In a move worth up to £65 million, he is joining Arteta’s team and receiving a long-term contract.
Bent, an Arsenal supporter, isn’t overly thrilled about the German attacker’s arrival, though. Bent does have faith in Arteta and his judgment, but he is perplexed by Havertz’s signing since he cannot understand how Havertz fits in.
Bent tweeted: “I rely upon Arteta and the direction he is taking Arsenal, but I want to understand the Havertz situation and how he fits in.”
Havertz, an attacking midfielder, cost £74 million to transfer from Bayer Leverkusen to Chelsea in 2020. However, over his three years at Stamford Bridge, the German has taken on several different roles.
Throughout much of last season, the 24-year-old was employed as a false nine, but he struggled. In 47 appearances across competitions during a mainly dismal stint with the West Londoners, he scored just nine goals.
Martin Odegaard would face uncertainty if Arteta attempted to put Havertz back in an attacking midfield position. This season, the Norwegian has played as the advanced midfielder in a midfield three. He excelled, contributing to 23 goals in 45 games across all competitions.
Havertz’s function as the false nine may be something Arteta wants to keep up. The strikers for the north Londoners are Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah, and Folarin Balogun. The latter two, though, purportedly have a price tag.
Arteta’s signing has generated controversy, but it remains to be seen how he can integrate Havertz into his Arsenal team. Given his underwhelming 2022–23 season, many people, especially Chelsea fans, are shocked by the sum the Gunners are willing to pay.
Next season, Chelsea and Arsenal are predicted to contend for the Premier League:
Dimitar Berbatov, a former player for Manchester United, believes Chelsea and Arsenal will contend for the Premier League championship next year. The 2022–23 seasons for the two London clubs were remarkably dissimilar.
The team of Arteta competed against Manchester City, who won the championship. At the beginning of the year, they had an eight-point advantage over the Cityzens, but they ultimately lost by five points.
Chelsea, however, had a miserable season and finished 12th in the league. Next season, they won’t compete in Europe under new manager Mauricio Pochettino.
However, Berbatov believes the Blues will recover while also believing the Gunners will win the title (via Metro): “I think the upcoming season will be challenging for Manchester City because they will not only be up against Manchester United but also teams like Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool.”
The Bulgarian added: “Even if Chelsea had a challenging season, Mauricio Pochettino will make them stronger the following year.”
To put themselves in the title race under Pochettino, the Blues will need a full turnaround. Last season, they had four permanent and temporary managers and dropped 16 of their 38 league games.
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