England legend Stuart Pearce has shared why Kai Havertz has now become a nightmare for defenders since joining Arsenal.
The Germany international was the biggest surprise signing in north London last summer as Arsenal paid a surprising £65m to bring Havertz from Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium, where the versatile attacking midfielder had struggled.
Early performances were not that convincing for Havertz at Arsenal, yet a change to playing at centre-forward at the start of 2024 changed everything for the 25-year-old, who went on a tear between then and the end of the season.
And Pearce has now detailed why Havertz is such a handful for defenders.
Havertz’s agility and physique proving to be a problem for rival defenders
Speaking on TalkSport, the England icon detailed how Havertz’s turn of pace and ability to sprint past defenders in the blink of an eye has become a real asset for Arsenal, with Germany also using this skill to great effect this summer at the Euros.
Pearce said: “As a defender, you know that his strengths are probably holding the ball up more, maybe the ball coming in the box, his physical stature will cause you a problem, but what he hasn’t got that a lot of top strikers have got is that turn of pace that can go away from you or really quick feet to go past you.
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“That’s what scares you as a defender – somebody that can spin and run in behind and you know full well you can’t catch him again or someone who can get on the half turn and go past you quickly. He has got the ability to get on the half-turn and thread a pass to somebody else.
“That is his strength. If you Arsenal fans, I think he has won a lot of them over time. They thought, ‘What have we signed here?’ All of a sudden, he is rising up again as a player.”
Havertz can add even more to his game as a centre-forward
Few would have predicted Havertz to become Arsenal’s leading striker when the Germany international was signed last summer, yet all signs seem to suggest that this is what will happen next season.
14 goals in all competitions last year is an impressive tally for someone who was branded as a failure before they had even kicked a ball for Arsenal, with Havertz showing he has found his new home in north London.
And next season could see Havertz add even more to his game as a centre-forward, with the 25-year-old still lacking that killer touch that all world-class strikers have that could be discovered at last by Mikel Arteta.
