After another disappointing performance from Kai Havertz in the 2-2 North London derby, the one thing on our minds as Gooners is, “Will Kai Havertz ever hit his peak form?”
Mikel Arteta sanctioned a £65 million bid for the German international in the summer. He had to have had a good reason for the move. Many of us don’t understand why we bothered signing the 24-year-old from Chelsea, given that he hadn’t lived up to his expectations even at Stamford Bridge.
That said, Nigel Winterburn, who played 440 league games for us, believes we are treating the Kai Havertz issue incorrectly. He believes that we, as fans, should stand with him and be patient as he adjusts to the demands we place on him.
Winterburn maintains that while we are in a good place in terms of performance and results and we are still unbeaten, we should not make Havertz a scapegoat; instead, we should give him time and judge him at the end of the season.
Speaking to the Daily Star, Winterburn said: “Every player, no matter the price tag, needs a settling in period. You can flip that around to Declan Rice, who has fitted in straight away, but players usually need time to get used to new teammates and a new style of play.
“There’s no doubt he’ll be a big part of the team and a big part of Arsenal’s success. You just need to support the guy and give him that belief.
“[Arsenal] have started well this season. The supporters are on board with what Arteta’s doing. The atmosphere inside the stadium is really good. That will be important going forward. You know what it’s like – a player has a bad run and becomes a bit of a scapegoat.
“But the fact that [Arsenal’s] form is so good and the mood is so good, it’ll give Havertz a bit more time to get things right and get up to speed. I’ve no doubt that will happen. It’s just been a bit of a slow start. Getting some goals will turn things around for him very quickly.
“A lot of people are [asking], ‘What goal return will we get from him? What’s he adding to the team?’ Listen, I’m always a little bit more reserved. I don’t want to start judging people straight away.
“There is nothing worse than when you join a club and you hear one or two mumblings inside the stadium. Social media is always going to say, ‘Why have you bought him?’ He’s struggled a little, but he’s here; he cost a lot of money, and I’m hoping he does a fantastic job, so let’s make that judgement at the end of the season.”
I suppose the primary issue many of us have with Havertz is that he hasn’t scored or assisted, which we expected him to accomplish.
Havertz is only six league games into the season, and with over 30 more to go, he can improve. Odegaard was not an instant hit when he first joined us on loan in the second part of the 2021–22 season, scoring only one goal and assisting on two others in 14 games.
Despite this, Arteta trusted him and signed him on a permanent deal in the summer of 2022, ignoring a tried and tested Premier League playmaker, James Maddison.
Years later, look at what a wonderful playmaker Odegaard is turning out to be. As Winterburn asks, let’s be supportive of Havertz. We can only hope that he improves with time because, after a £65 million arrival, he is here to stay.