‘He’s a bit like Giroud’: Pundit says Arsenal now have a midfielder who’s similar to Olivier Giroud

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Kai Havertz is an enigma of a footballer.

The German is really difficult to figure out. Everything you hear about him from coaches and players would suggest that he’s a quality player, but when you watch him, it just doesn’t add up.

The 24-year-old doesn’t score or assist at any great rate, but he’s constantly being praised for his intelligent running and his work off the ball.

Speaking on the Highbury Squad YouTube channel, David Hillier has made a great comparison between Kai Havertz and Olivier Giroud, claiming that the German, much like Giroud, is brilliant at occupying defenders and creating space for others, even if he isn’t the most clinical or creative in the final third.

Havertz similar to Giroud

Hillier gave his verdict on Havertz.

“I have to say Havertz down the middle, he has a presence in there, he doesn’t get drawn into running into the flanks. He’s a bit like Giroud, Giroud sometimes didn’t set the world on fire, but he was always occupying defenders, and that means they can’t cover the full-backs, so that kind of isolated Kyle Walker and that meant he had to go tigher to Martinelli,” Hillier said.

Needs more

The Giroud comparison here does make sense, but what makes Giroud such an effective player is that he also knows where the back of the net is.

Yes, Giroud was a frustrating player at times, but he hit double figures at Arsenal in every single full season he spent at the Emirates, meanwhile, Havertz hasn’t threatened to score from open play since joining the club.

It’s all well and good doing this off-the-ball work, but if you’re not making an impact in the final third, you’re not really justifying that £65m pricetag.