Kai Havertz has had a mixed bag of a first season so far at Arsenal (Picture: Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta has heaped praise on Kai Havertz, saying he loves the versatile German, despite rumours of an exit from Arsenal just a year after signing for the club.
The 24-year-old has not had a disastrous first season with the club since his summer move from Chelsea, but has struggled to regularly make an impact.
The Germany international has scored four Premier League goals in 23 top flight appearances, with just 16 of those coming in Arteta’s starting XI.
Havertz has appeared in a number of positions, which his manager is a fan of, although it is hard to pinpoint where he best suits the team.
Reports from Spanish publication Fichajes earlier this week suggested Arsenal were considering recouping the £65m they spent on Havertz last year by selling him this summer, but Arteta does not sound like he wants to lose him.
‘I love him,’ Arteta told a press conference of Havertz. ‘I think we all love him a player, as a person, everything he brings to the team.
‘There were two or three moments the other day [against West Ham] with 4, 5, 6-0, how he tracks people, how he is defending the box, how he’s attacking the box, the position that he’s constantly a threat in the opponents box and that’s what I really like.
Mikel Arteta insists he is perfectly happy with Kai Havertz (Picture: Getty Images)
‘You ask him to play as a 9, as a right attacking midfielder, as a left attacking midfielder, at the base defending and he does it. He’s just a joy to work with.’
Havertz played up front in the recent 3-1 win over Liverpool, but despite the victory Sky Sports’ Gary Neville was critical of the German, although he was down on all three of Arsenal’s options up top.
‘I watched him today Havertz when he’s moving into the box, he’s a different type of player, but he’s quite languid,’ said the Manchester United hero.
‘There’s no change of pace into the box, there’s no change of direction, there’s no little darts.
‘And then I think of Jesus when he plays and he’s everywhere but where you want him to be! He’s everywhere Jesus, I love him to bits, but literally when you want him in the centre of the six-yard box he’s probably on the right wing! Or at right-back!
‘And then you look at Nketiah, who is probably the most natural [frontman] of all of them, but probably isn’t up to the standard of the other two.
‘So all three of them have deficiencies which mean that they don’t deliver.’
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