Big Havertz upgrade: Arsenal confident of signing "the hottest CF in Europe"
da dobrowin： Of all Mikel Arteta’s signings as Arsenal boss, there has perhaps been none as controversial as Kai Havertz.
da betano casino： Since the German joined the club for £65m in the summer of 2023, he has faced his fair share of criticism from fans and pundits alike, and considering his slow start to life in North London, scoring one goal and providing one assist in his first 12 Premier League games, it’s wasn’t hard to see why.
However, once he moved up top, things started to look much, much better, and before his hamstring injury in February, the German international had amassed a tally of 32 goal involvements in 47 appearances there for the club.
Yet, if recent reports are to be believed, even a rate of return such as that might not be enough to keep him in the starting lineup, as the club are now confident of signing one of Europe’s most exciting strikers.
Arsenal's striker search
Before getting to the striker in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other top poachers Arsenal are reportedly interested in ahead of the summer transfer window, such as Benjamin Sesko.
The Slovenian international could be available for around £58m at the end of the season and with a tally of 20 goals and six assists in just 41 appearances, that could prove to be value for money.
Closer to home, the Gunners have kept Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins on their shortlist.
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The Englishman is a player liked by new Sporting Director Andrea Berta, and, with a haul of 29 goal involvements in 49 games this term, it’s not hard to see why, although he’s still some way off the club’s most exciting target: Viktor Gyokeres.
According to a recent report from Spain, the North Londoners have maintained their strong interest in the Sporting CP monster and are now ‘confident’ of securing his signature.
However, there is still the small case of his fee, which, according to the report, would be around €70m, which comes out to about £60m.
While that’s a sizable sum of money, this is still a transfer Arsenal should do all they can to get over the line, as Gyokeres could be transformational for them, even if he’d be bad news for Havertz.
How Gyokeres compares to Havertz
Should Arsenal get this transfer over the line and bring Gyokeres to the Emirates next season, it would undoubtedly be with the intention of having him start as many games as possible.
So, that would also mean that, when fit again, Havertz would be his primary competition for regular game time, but who comes out on top when we compare them?
Well, despite his decent rate of return in the last year or so, the Sporting CP star wipes the floor with the former Chelsea ace when it comes to their raw output, which is, of course, the most important metric for a number nine.
For example, in 46 appearances, totalling 3700 minutes, the Stockholm-born “powerhouse,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, has scored 47 goals and provided 11 assists.
That means he’s currently averaging 1.26 goal involvements per game or one every 63.79 minutes, which only lends credence to ESPN Head Writer Mark Ogdan’s claim that he’s “the hottest striker in Europe.”
Gyokeres vs Havertz
Player
Gyokeres
Havertz
Appearances
46
34
Minutes
3700′
2776′
Goals
47
15
Assists
11
5
Goal Involvements per Match
1.26
0.58
Minutes per Goal Involvement
63.79′
138.8′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
In comparison, prior to his injury, the former Bayer Leverkusen star had amassed a tally of 15 goals and five assists in 34 appearances, totalling 2776 minutes, which comes out to a less impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.70 games or one every 138.8 minutes.
There is an argument to be made that the Portuguese league is an easier level, but given the extent to which the former Coventry City gem is outperforming the Gunners ace, we reckon he’d still be more prolific in a top-five league.
Ultimately, if Arsenal have the chance to sign Gyokeres this summer, they have to take it, even if it spells the end of regularly starting games for Havertz.
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The incredible international would be a brilliant signing for Arsenal.
