Why Arsenal spending €70m on Havertz was a mistake

Tom Weber

• 9 Jul 2023 16:26 BST
• 3 min read

Mikel Arteta putting his trust in Emile Smith Rowe could have potentially saved Arsenal €70 million.

The Gunners are splashing the cash this summer, having already announced the signing of Kai Havertz from Chelsea for the hefty sum of €70m. Declan Rice for a British record transfer fee and Jurrien Timber are expected to be the next big-money arrivals at the Emirates.

Though Financial Fair Play shouldn't be an issue for the Gunners considering the revenue generated by their impressive performances last term, one can't overlook the fact that Arsenal have spent a staggering amount of money since the appointment of Mikel Arteta.

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It has yielded spectacular results, to be sure, but there is no guarantee that someone like Havertz will be a success story after his unimpressive stint at Chelsea. Indeed, Arsenal could perhaps have saved that money had Mikel Arteta put more faith in Emile Smith Rowe after his return from injury last season.

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Smith Rowe was second only to Bukayo Saka in Arsenal's scoring charts in 2021/22 but saw the season just gone derailed by injuries. Mikel Arteta opted to keep the 22-year-old on the outside looking even after he returned to full fitness.

It was only at the U21 Euros that Smith Rowe was given a chance to impress again and impress he did, showing that Arsenal were perhaps too quick to splash the cash on Havertz. Smith Rowe occupied similar positions to Havertz - when he's not shoehorned into a number nine role -and he chipped in with two goals and an assist as England won the tournament.

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Havertz could turn out to be an outstanding signing for Arsenal, of course, but properly utilising Smith Rowe may have been a much, much cheaper alternative than signing the German who has thus far struggled to come to grips with life in the Premier League.