Kevin Campbell thinks Mikel Arteta is desperate to get the best out of 24-year-old Arsenal target

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Mikel Arteta believes he can get the very best out of Arsenal transfer target Kai Havertz if he joins the club.

That’s according to pundit Kevin Campbell, speaking on TalkSPORT (21/6 8:45am) about the 24-year-old.

The deal for Arsenal to sign Kai Havertz appears to be progressing quickly.

The Gunners are now closer to signing the Chelsea forward than Declan Rice who remains their top target.

Joining Arsenal’s Premier League rivals hasn’t been the easiest stint of his career.

Despite scoring in a Champions League Final, it’s hard to argue that Havertz’s move to Chelsea has been a success.

Although the team as a whole has struggled this season, Havertz has never particularly stood out.

Regularly played out of position, glimpses of talent have been few and far between.

Kevin Campbell has suggested that Mikel Arteta feels he can get the best out of Havertz at Arsenal.

It will be interesting to see where the Spanish coach believes his best position is.

Arteta believes he can get the best out of Havertz

Speaking about the German international, Campbell said: “I think he [Mikel Arteta] looked at the age of [Thomas] Partey and [Granit] Xhaka and probably thinks, if I go younger with more legs, with more potential because Partey’s not going to get any better, Xhaka’s not going to get any better.

“I think he’s licking his lips. I think Havertz has got quite a big ceiling, hasn’t hit the heights he probably would like to and he sees something in him I think and he’s another left-footer.

“He’s not the first player to go to Chelsea and not fulfil his potential, although he has turned up in big games, he’s a decent player.

“I just think the ceiling he’s got is huge, Germany international, 24 years old, he’s played in big games, scored a winner in a Champions League final.

“I just think Mikel Arteta’s looking at him and thinking, ‘You know what, I could get the best out of this guy’.

“One thing he is good at is ghosting in the box and maybe that’s an upgrade on Granit Xhaka who performed fantastically last season but that’s a position that Arsenal really need to up their goal output from.”

TBR View – Havertz move is high risk, high reward

For Arteta to get the best out of Havertz, he needs to quickly identify his best position.

Campbell is suggesting that he could play as a number eight in place of the departing Granit Xhaka.

Havertz would need to improve his defensive output to play that role as effectively as the Swiss midfielder.

The 24-year-old is versatile enough to play across the front line at Arsenal.

He played his best football at his previous club Bayer Leverkusen when deployed just behind a striker.

If he lines up alongside Martin Odegaard it could benefit Arsenal a lot going forward, but leave them very open out of possession.