‘I wouldn’t have him’: ESPN pundit thinks 24-year-old doesn’t get in Arsenal’s team next season

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Steve Nicol has admitted that he does not see a place for Kai Havertz in the Arsenal team, insisting that the Gunners cannot use the Germany international in midfield.

Nicol was speaking on ESPN after Kai Havertz became Arsenal’s first signing of the summer transfer window. As reported by BBC Sport, the 24-year-old has arrived for £65 million.

It was a move that few would have been expecting before the window opened. Havertz has obviously already achieved plenty in the early stages of his career. But it would also be fair to say that he has not had the best time at Chelsea at all.

And the Blues will feel that they have done a good bit of business, getting so much for the versatile forward.

Nicol not impressed by Arsenal signing Havertz

It was put to Nicol that Havertz could start alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard in the Arsenal midfield next season. But clearly, the pundit was not having any of that after his struggles at Stamford Bridge.

“I don’t see how Havertz plays in there. Give me one good reason why he plays in the middle and has to do a little bit of everything. I don’t see it. He couldn’t do the one thing that he needed to do for Chelsea. But you’re going to ask him to do two or three other things,” he told ESPN.

“I wouldn’t have him. Listen, Arteta’s done way more in the game than me. But I don’t see how he plays in the middle of the park. Martinelli’s playing, Saka’s starting. And you’re telling me that Jesus isn’t going to start? Of course he’s going to start.”

Arsenal fans will obviously not agree with Nicol’s assessment of Havertz. But what you cannot question is that Arsenal have taken a gamble spending so much on the youngster.

However, the Gunners are no strangers to taking gambles in the market. It is easy to forget now just how much ridicule they received when they made big plays for the likes of Aaron Ramsdale and Ben White.

Ramsdale had just been relegated in successive years. White meanwhile, had only just finished his first season as a Premier League regular.

The Gunners spent hefty sums on both. And those decisions proved to be masterstrokes.

It is obviously too soon to say whether Havertz will follow in their footsteps. But Arsenal need a better squad ahead of their Champions League return.

And he arguably helps provide that.