Arsenal are completing their midfield rebuild in double quick time after a significant day in the transfer market on Wednesday.
Germany international Kai Havertz was officially announced as an Arsenal player and their first signing of the summer. He moves from West to North London with some excitement, but also something to prove.
Gunners fans are quite rightly suspicious of signing players from Chelsea after the likes of David Luiz and Willian. However, that view doesn’t take into account the shifting dynamics.
Read: Declan Rice – Most Valuable British Player Ever?
Signing Chelsea’s old cast-offs when they are better than you is a sign of a club in decline. Signing a young player from Chelsea when you are better than them is a different matter entirely.
Even Jorginho excelled in the second half of last season, joining a good Arsenal team as opposed to the shambolic one Chelsea were last season. At 24, Havertz hasn’t yet reached his potential and if any coach can help him with that, it’s Mikel Arteta.
Just look at Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko. All highly rated players who had lost their way at a big club. Arteta sold them a vision of what they could become at Arsenal and all have excelled. If he can that with a player as talented as Havertz, his £65 million fee will look cheap.
In somewhat more seismic news, Wednesday reports confirmed that Arsenal have agreed a fee with West Ham for Declan Rice. The 24-year old England international will become their midfield leader following the departure of Granit Xhaka.
Read: Transfer Window Roundup – Market To Ignite This Week
Arsenal’s central midfield last season consisted of Xhaka, who was always fit but couldn’t quite do everything Arteta wanted from his position and Thomas Partey, who could do everything Arteta wanted from his position but couldn’t quite stay fit. Both are 30 years old. Both Declan Rice and Kai Havertz are only 24.
If Rice develops as expected and Havertz can successfully adapt to a deeper role, Arteta will have an elite midfield for the next five years. The Gunners now await communication from Ajax over the transfer of defender Jurrien Timber. Get that deal over the line, and Arsenal will have secured their main transfer targets by the start of July.
They mean business.
