Kai Havertz eventually had a good first season at Arsenal (Picture: Getty Images)
Kai Havertz has looked back on a tough start to his Arsenal career and has praised his manager and teammates for helping him eventually flourish in his new surroundings.
The Germany international made the unexpected move across London last summer when he joined the Gunners from Chelsea in a £65m deal.
The former Bayer Leverkusen man had not been a huge hit at Stamford Bridge and there was some scepticism over his move to the Emirates, not helped by a slow start to his career in red and white.
It took him a while to get going, but the 24-year-old did settle in, eventually having an impressive first season under Mikel Arteta, scoring 13 goals as he filled in up front rather than playing the midfield role he was expected to take up when signed.
‘It wasn’t easy at Arsenal at the beginning either,’ Havertz told Welt. ‘The Chelsea fans were angry that I left, and the Arsenal fans weren’t that enthusiastic either because things weren’t going so well at the start.
‘You gain strength when the coach, your teammates, and the people close to you stand by and support you.
‘Trust is a big word—I’m cautious about that. It isn’t easy for me to trust people. I feel like I have one friend outside of football; otherwise, there aren’t many people I let get close to me. But I can differentiate quite well between those who are serious about me and those who only want something from me when things are going well.’
Mikel Arteta showed great faith in Havertz (Picture: Getty Images)
Havertz has certainly been impressed by Mikel Arteta as his boss at Arsenal, saying he is more tactically astute than any other manager he has played under and has been ideal to guide the young Arsenal team.
‘As far as his role as a club coach goes, I have never had anyone better in terms of tactics,’ said Havertz. ‘He gives you tasks down to the last detail and presents solutions for what is about to happen on the pitch.
‘This is particularly noticeable with regard to our young team at Arsenal because not every young team has such a perfect structure as we do. It’s incredible to see how Arsenal has developed under him in four years.’
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