Kai Havertz has issued a fighting response during Arsenal's chase to sign a new striker this summer. The German forward is expected to have added competition for his spot next season.
Having missed three months with injury, Havertz returned to the Arsenal team in mid-May and is now preparing for a tour of Asia with matches in Hong Kong and Singapore next month. By the time the team travel out, Mikel Arteta will hope to have another centre forward in his ranks.
Arsenal are understood to be working on deals for both Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko. Sporting director Andrea Berta prefers to lay the foundation for multiple moves at once before making the call on which one to push forward with at a later date.
It explains a relative lack of activity early on in the transfer window. Arsenal's rivals are busy strengthening with clubs able to finalise earlier than usual due to FIFA's restructured summer schedule to accommodate for the Club World Cup. The Gunners, meanwhile, are expected to seal a move for Martin Zubimendi, but look set to wait until July to confirm the deal due to accounting measures for Real Sociedad.
Havertz scored 15 times for Arsenal last season with nine of those coming in the Premier League. Nobody in the squad managed more in the league, which is a big reason for why Arteta was unable to make more of a challenge on all fronts.
Although Arsenal got the semi-finals of the Champions League and Carabao Cup, they ultimately fell way short of Liverpool in the title race and were dumped out of the FA Cup in the third round on penalties by Manchester United. There is now pressure on the team to deliver a trophy having gone five years since winning silverware in Arteta's first season.
In order to do that, Arsenal are looking at Sesko and Gyokeres as their main targets for the No.9 role. The pair are both available but for different ends of the price scale.
Sesko is thought to be valued at over £92million after extending his stay at RB Leipzig with a £55million release clause 12 months ago. Gyokeres, on the other hand, is there for closer to £60million but is five years older without an elite season in a top league and has no resale value.
Arsenal will be weighing all this up as they look to support Havertz, who has carried the central attacking load for most of the past two seasons. Initially signed as a midfielder who can operate as a focal point, Arteta was quick to move Havertz to being the most advanced player on the pitch for Arsenal, much as Thomas Tuchel and Frank Lampard did at Chelsea.
With a strong aerial presence and ability to link play, Havertz is more akin to a target man than the silky smooth player he was in Germany at Bayer Leverkusen. As he came to terms with life in England, Havertz has continued to work on his physicality and has shown himself doing work to keep improving.
In a post on Instagram, the 25-year-old (who will celebrate his birthday next week) has shown images of himself in the gym, bulking up. As Havertz lifts a set of weights in a thermal top, he shared three pictures, one of himself sat on a pitch and another two in black and white working out.
The caption, "Loading", comes at a pointed time for Arsenal as their chase for a striker goes on. Havertz is aiming to come back strong both literally and figurately next season.
He was heavily criticised for missing some big chances despite scoring relatively frequently when fit. His conversion issues and Arsenal's lack of backup - especially once Gabriel Jesus was also ruled out with injury - cost Arteta and the team heavily.
Next season, Havertz will believe he can deliver for Arsenal again as he looks to combine with whichever striker comes through the door. The challenge is for Arsenal to balance their new No.9 with the existing first choice. Havertz, it seems, is ready for the battle.
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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