Arsenal 'believe Kai Havertz can play in FIVE attacking positions'
Arsenal ‘believe Kai Havertz can play in FIVE different attacking positions’ with his versatility a ‘huge attraction for Mikel Arteta’ who’s played a ‘personal role’ in negotiations for £60m move
- BREAKING NEWS: Arsenal make new £60m offer for Chelsea’s Kai Havertz
- The Germany international has played largely as a No 9 for the Blues this season
- Former coach Tuchel compared Havertz to Gunners legend Dennis Bergkamp
Arsenal believe that Kai Havertz’s versatility makes him a must-win target for the club, according to reports, after Mikel Arteta’s side mounted a brand-new £60million bid for the forward after their initial offer was rejected by Chelsea.
The 23-year-old has supplanted Declan Rice at the Gunners’ primary focus, although Arsenal are confident that both of their top targets will make the move to north London in the early stages of the summer market.
Havertz joined Chelsea in 2020 and has been regular starter under the last five managerial periods at the beleaguered west London club.
But despite the Blues willingly looking to extend the player’s current contract – which is due to keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2025 – Havertz is believed to be focused on securing a transfer.
Kai Havertz is set to play in an array of different attacking roles should he make the move to Arsenal during the summer window
Mikel Arteta is believed to value the 23-year-old’s versatility and has been involved in talks
As per ESPN, Arsenal have hinted that as well as operating as a No 10 or a No 8 in Arteta’s starting XI, the club plans to use Havertz interchangeably in any of the three attacking positions at the top of a 4-3-3 system.
The Spanish manager is so convinced of the value of Havertz’s potential versatility, that Arteta is believed to have played a large role in ongoing negotiations for the player.
Havertz has played a number of forward roles for Chelsea during his tenure at Stamford Bridge, but this season has been largely deployed as an out-and-out No 9 due to a striker crisis.
Romelu Lukaku was loaned back to Inter Milan after a disastrous return to the west London club during the 2021-22 campaign, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang failed to recapture his once-fine goalscoring form, academy prospect Armando Broja suffered a horror injury, and David Datro Fofana – purchased in the January transfer window – was seldom tested by any of his three managers in the second half of the season.
On Tuesday, Mail Sport revealed that Arsenal have made an improved bid to their Premier League rivals comprising of a guaranteed £55m and an additional £5m in bonuses.
Discussions between the two clubs accelerated over the weekend after the Blues rebuffed Arsenal’s opening offer, believing their player to be worth closer to £70m.
Havertz will be offered a long-term contract worth a minimum of £210,000-per-week, which is broadly in line with his current deal at Chelsea, which is due to expire in 2025.
Bayern Munich has also shown interest in setting up a return to Germany for Havertz – and Chelsea remain optimistic for a bidding war to drive up his price – whilst Real Madrid’s pursuit of the player is believed to have cooled somewhat.
The Blues have found themselves in a similar position regarding a chasm in valuations with Havertz’s starting XI team-mate, Mason Mount.
Mount is heavily fancied by Manchester United, but whilst the Red Devils are believed to have agreed personal terms with the midfielder and feel confident Mount will make the move north, the Blues are reluctant to accept United’s position on the player’s price.
Chelsea value the England starlet at £80m, whereas United’s opening offer was closer to half the amount.
Whilst Erik ten Hag’s side are preparing a second, £50m, bid for the 24-year-old, the Blues are believed to be unwilling to see the academy product go for less than £70m.
However, Chelsea may find themselves backed into a corner as June 30 approaches.
After spending £600m on players during the two windows since the Todd Boehly-led takeover of the London side in May 2022, Chelsea are in increasingly dire need to recoup funds to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations ahead of a season without Champions League football.
Man United-fancied Mason Mount is another player that Chelsea has given a punchy valuation
Todd Boehly will look to pull off a huge summer clear out at Cobham ahead of next season
A number of Chelsea’s players may make the move to the Saudi Pro League, after members of the club’s hierarchy met with a delegation from the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund on Tuesday.
The PIF owns a 75 per cent stage in four top clubs in the league – Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, and Al-Nassr – and all four of the sides are in the midst of a star-studded raid on the European top flight.
Eyebrows have been raised over the nature of big money deals believed to be in the offing for Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, N’Golo Kante, Hakim Ziyech, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The PIF is a major investor in Chelsea’s majority shareholder Clearlake Capital, who manage billions of pounds worth of assets for the Saudi fund.
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