Kai Havertz has had a terrible year as his club and country managers struggle to find the best playing position for him.
Havertz moved to Arsenal in a surprise transfer that did not excite the Gunners fanbase, and he has proven them right so far.
Mikel Arteta signed him to replace the departed Granit Xhaka, but Havertz has failed woefully in that position.
The German is also a problem for his national team, with Julian Nagelsmann recently starting him as a left-back.
That decision shows how desperate his managers are to make the most of his talent but how seemingly impossible it has been for them to achieve that.
Football fans were shocked to see Havertz playing as a left-back in the last international window and Germany legend Lothar Matthäus has slammed Nagelsmann for the decision.
He said to Sky Sports Germany:
“The coach might expect someone like Leverkusen’s Grimaldo to play on the left and right, but he was trained as a full-back. Havertz, Sane and Brandt are trained offensive players and will not play in these positions at their clubs for the next seven months.
“This also causes uncertainty among the other players. I know what Nagelsmann is planning, at FC Bayern Munich he preferred Alphonso Davies to the left and he now wants to turn Havertz into a Davies.
“I occasionally played defender for Jupp Heynckes. I never knew what to do because I had a completely different understanding of the game. If we have a DNA, a game system, why change it?”
Just Arsenal Opinion
As terrible as Havertz can be, playing him as a left-back is a new low, and it was a shocking decision that eventually backfired.
The attacker will hope he can end this year on a high by delivering some fine performances for Arsenal in the next month.
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