Kai Havertz

The Gunners confirmed Havertz’s £65 million arrival on Wednesday evening, making him the club’s first signing of a busy summer.

While the fee is high, as I previously stated, many people are optimistic about what Havertz can offer in north London. Despite scoring the game-winning goal in a Champions League final, the German’s time at Chelsea was uneven, but there were some bright spots. Havertz was mistreated and part of a woefully unbalanced squad during his final season at Stamford Bridge, and he wasn’t given the best chance to thrive.

The 24-year-old made his Bundesliga debut as a space-invading #10 similar to Thomas Muller. Mikel Arteta’s job is to restore Havertz to his former glory in terms of movement, athleticism, and finishing. We rarely saw this version of the 24-year-old manifest in west London.

Supporters have speculated on which position Havertz might play in Arteta’s system, and the manager hinted at his positional outlook for the languid raumdeuter after the German’s arrival was confirmed.

“Kai is a top-tier player.” He is an extremely versatile and intelligent player. “He will add a lot of extra strength and variety to our midfield,” Arteta told arsenal.com.

Midfield Mikel, I hear you say. Interesting.

Havertz’s struggles as a centre-forward/false nine at Chelsea convinced many that if Arteta’s plan was to use him in a rotation with Gabriel Jesus, this move would be worthless. However, the manager’s mention of the player’s midfield potential will undoubtedly excite fans. Given his ability to receive between the lines, shrewd movement, and impressive interplay, the 24-year-old has all the ingredients to succeed in Granit Xhaka’s left-sided #8 role.

Already, it appears that Arteta will give Havertz the best chance of success at Emirates, a move that, given the significance of the Rice deal, may go unnoticed.