Arteta doesn’t know how to coach a big Club, if not why keeping a player like Him on the bench when you want to win games’: Chelsea boss Pochettino calls Arteta a ‘BABYCOACH’ for benching £65m Star in Arsenal yesterday victory
Arsenal icon Paul Merson has urged Mikel Arteta to use Kai Havertz as a centre-forward. There has been strong debate over Havertz’ best position, despite Arteta mostly using the German in midfield.
Havertz is highly regarded by managers for his versatility. The 24-year-old can play as a central midfielder and anywhere across a front three. He also slotted in at left-back for Germany during the most recent international break.
But with Arsenal struggling for a prolific striker, many believe that Havertz should start in the role ahead of Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah. Jesus is Arteta’s first-choice centre-forward but his inconsistency and susceptibility to injuries have called that status into question.
Havertz was signed by Arteta to play in midfield alongside captain Martin Odegaard, replacing box-to-box star Granit Xhaka who joined Bayer Leverkusen in the summer. However, Merson believes the former Chelsea ace showed his ability to play as a striker with clever movement to score the winner against Brentford last weekend.
“This is unbelievable play by Havertz, it is movement at its best,” Sky Sports pundit Merson said over a replay of the strike, which secured a 1-0 triumph.
“I think he should play up front. That was centre-forward movement – he drifts behind defenders and it’s a great header. Confidence, every player will tell you, if you can bottle one thing it’s confidence.”
Havertz often started in the centre of a front three for Chelsea during his final two years at Stamford Bridge. However, he was sometimes criticised for not scoring enough, bagging just seven Premier League goals last term.
Arsenal have been widely linked with signing a new striker in either January or next summer. It is widely believed that a new No 9 will help Arteta propel his side above the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool, and secure their first top-flight title in two decades.
Brentford star Ivan Toney has been mooted as a possible winter signing, once the 27-year-old’s football ban ends on January 16. A reported move for Napoli hotshot Victor Osimhen might be unlikely midway through the campaign, with Arsenal needing to sell before they seal another big-money signing.
Asked about the potential of signing a striker in January, Arteta said in October: “We’re not thinking at all about that. We have really good players up front. It’s true that right now we have some injuries. We will continue with the players we have.”
