Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Kai Havertz in a £65m deal from Chelsea.
Mikel Arteta has been keen to bolster his squad following a promising season in which Arsenal finished finished second in the Premier League and qualified for the Champions League.
The Gunners identified Germany international Havertz as a surprise target earlier in the month and have now completed a deal to bring the 24-year-old to north London.
Having signed Havertz for £72m in 2020, Chelsea have almost recouped the money they spent on the forward, who made 139 appearances for the club.
The former Bayer Leverkusen star endured a mixed spell at Stamford Bridge, scoring the winner in the 2021 Champions League final but contributing just 32 goals overall.
Havertz’s form in west London was undoubtedly hindered by the turbulence at Chelsea – he played under three different managers in his three-year stint, including Frank Lampard twice.
A number of pundits, including Manchester United legend Gary Neville, have stated that Havertz was being played out of position for large periods of his Chelsea career.
Havertz’s defenders will also point to the fact he was playing in a team that finished just 12th in the Premier League last season, closer to the relegation zone than the Champions League spots.
The German is now joining an Arsenal team that finished runners-up behind Manchester City last term after leading the title race for several months.
Havertz has become Arsenal’s first signing of the summer, though the Gunners also intend to add Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber to Arteta’s squad.
West Ham have finally agreed a fee worth £105m to sell Rice to Arsenal, who will then turn their attentions to Ajax defender Timber.
