Arsenal’s Kai Haverts needs to ‘assert himself’ at the Emirates ‘by all means possible’ and all talk of an early exit needs to be dismissed for now.
That’s according to Germany icon Michael Ballack, who has backed the player to prove himself under Mikel Arteta before too long.
Havertz joined Arsenal in a €75m deal from Chelsea in the summer after three somewhat miserable years at Stamford Bridge following an €80m move from Bayer Leverkusen in 2020.
He arrived at the club with a huge reputation from his time in the Bundesliga, where he had established himself as one of the rising stars of European football.
He was unable to replicate that at Chelsea, with a tally of 32 goals and 15 assists 139 games seen as a failure, even if one of those goals did secure the Blues the Champions League title.
He’s struggled considerably more at Arsenal, with a tally of one goal and one assists in 19 games so far seeing serious questions being raised and most considering Havertz as a major flop.
Indeed, there has been talk that Arsenal will cut their losses and move him on, but Ballack is not having such suggestions just yet.
“Kai Havertz has outstanding skills,” he told SportBILD.
“But as already mentioned: he seems a bit too reserved for me. You need a certain robustness and mentality, especially abroad, to assert yourself in difficult situations. I hope he gets it done.
“In my opinion it is still too early for that (an exit). He should assert himself at Arsenal by all means possible.”
