One Arsenal player has now opened up about which role he feels suits him best after Mikel Arteta attempted to change his game.
Kai Havertz ultimately enjoyed an impressive first season at Arsenal.
Last summer, the Gunners paid £65 million to prise him away from Chelsea. At the time, this deal was questioned in many quarters. A survey of football agents named Havertz as the worst signing of the summer.
The German certainly arrived at the Emirates Stadium looking short on confidence. In spite of all his natural talent, he had failed to ever shine on a consistent basis in his time at Stamford Bridge, where he led the line over three seasons.
Clearly, though, Mikel Arteta felt sure he had seen something in the 24-year-old. Havertz was not able to hit the ground running in North London though, and was not helped by the fact that the Spanish coach seemed determined to reinvent the player.
Arteta attempted to repurpose Havertz as a midfielder, and then spent much of the first half of the season playing him in the middle of the park. Whilst the 44-cap Germany international produced a handful of decent performances in this part of the pitch, he never looked particularly settled or comfortable with his tactical role.
After the turn of the year, though, Arteta moved Havertz back up front, and then everything changed.
Kai Havertz discusses preferred position after Mikel Arteta tinkering at Arsenal
The forward has now spoken out about his preferred position, ahead of this summer’s EUROs tournament, where he will be representing the host nation, Germany.
Speaking to TZ, he said: “I clearly see myself as a number nine in the national team – and that’s what I am now at Arsenal.
“But I don’t mean the classic number nine. Where else can you find them? Even Erling Haaland or Harry Kane, who you immediately think of, don’t just stand in the box and wait for the shot. The players who wait there no longer exist in modern football.
“I’m someone who enjoys dropping back and making deep runs. But I’m also aware that I’m measured by goals.”
Kai Havertz now pick of the Arsenal strikers
After being moved to the top of the pitch for Arsenal, Havertz hit a rich vein of form. He found the back of the net 9 times in his last 14 Premier League outings. In total, across all competitions, he ended the season with a return of 14 goals and 7 assists, marking this as Havertz’s best-ever campaign in front of goal in English football.
He will undoubtedly start the new season in Arteta’s plans as a striker, with the manager having learned from his previous misstep.
Although Arsenal have reportedly now made a bid for Benjamin Sesko, and the Gunners are known to want to add extra firepower to their ranks, the No. 9 shirt in North London is now very much Havertz’s to lose.