Germany’s forward #07 Kai Havertz (bottom) is helped by Netherlands’ defender #04 Virgil van Dijk (L) after being injured during the UEFA Nations League (League A, Group A2) football match between Netherlands and Germany at Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam on September 24, 2026. (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP via Getty Images)
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CSmith1919 Chuck Smith is the site manager for Bavarian Football Works, where he began writing in 2017. He is the author of The Daily Schmankerl, the longest-running daily Bayern Munich column in English, and also writes The Weekend Warm-Up. In addition to covering Bayern Munich news and providing commentary on Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga, and the German national team. He brings more than 30 years of sports-writing experience to the site. Over the course of his career, he has written for numerous newspapers and websites.
Pat Nevin has never been shy about his admiration for Kai Havertz, and the former Scotland international and Chelsea winger is once again backing the Arsenal and Germany star to take another step forward.
Nevin enjoyed a distinguished playing career with clubs including Chelsea and Everton, earned 28 Scotland caps, and later moved into broadcasting and football analysis. He has also previously spoken highly of Havertz, including during the German forward’s somewhat tumultuous time at Chelsea.
Havertz has faced questions about his best position throughout his Arsenal career. He has been used as a midfielder, a winger, an attacking midfielder, and a center-forward, while injuries have also disrupted his consistency. Arsenal has not always been able to get an extended run of games from him, making Nevin’s comments particularly interesting.
Nevin believes the current situation could finally allow Havertz to show the goalscoring ability he has always possessed. With a full preseason behind him and a strong Arsenal team around him, Nevin sees the possibility of a significant statistical jump.
”I adore Kai Havertz as a football player. I think he’s just the most brilliant football player,” Nevin told Betpack. “Has he really been fully fit at any point for Arsenal? There have been big gaps where he’s been injured or he’s been playing as a center-forward. He’s not really a striker; he’s been playing one behind the striker. But at the moment, he seems to have settled. He’s starting the season, he’s had a preseason behind him, and he’s got an amazing team behind him as well.
“I think it’s unlikely, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Kai Havertz was the second top goalscorer this season. That’s a big jump for Kai, but I think he’s got it in him.”
For Germany, that would also be an encouraging development, but does not seem all that realistic. As always seems to happen, Havertz was felled by injury during Germany’s match vs. the Netherlands last week.
Still, Havertz’s versatility has long made him valuable to the national team, but a sustained goalscoring run at Arsenal could add another dimension to his role heading into the next international challenges — even if he doesn’t win a Golden Boot.
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