Arsenal transfer flop? Arteta's advice to Havertz

Stuart Telford

• 27 Aug 2023 03:53 CDT
• 3 min read

Kai Havertz has yet to open his account for Arsenal following his £65 million transfer from Chelsea, but Gunners boss Mikel Arteta isn't worried.

Havertz came in for criticism following Arsenal's 2-2 draw with Fulham on Saturday, with certain sections of the support vocal in their abuse before the German made way for Fabio Vieira on 56 minutes.

Havertz has now gone 323 minutes without a competitive goal for Arsenal, and Arteta would like to see him be more direct in his play.

READ: A Tale of Two Transfers: Rice thrives while Havertz flounders at Arsenal

"I saw an action when he played backwards and he could have turned, but that's one of the things and the demands of everybody, to play forward and to impact the game in the final third because we had the urgency to win it, but no," he said after the match.

Can Havertz get the fans onside?

"Yes, I think so," Arteta continued when asked if he was confident Havertz could win fans over. "I think he's already done some really good things and today it was tough for him in certain moments.

"He got in some great areas again and the ball didn't arrive and he had a lot of situations. He should have already scored a lot of goals already this season and that's the thing that is missing there."

READ: How much have Arsenal spent on transfers so far this summer?

To rub salt in Havertz's wounds, Vieira then assisted Eddie Nketiah for the goal that made it 2-1 before Joao Palhinha's late equaliser.

Havertz was linked with a move to Real Madrid earlier in the transfer window before Arsenal won the race for his signature.

He appears safe for now, however. Competition for a place in the final third is about to lighten with Folarin Balogun's imminent transfer to Monaco, while Thomas Partey has been used as a de facto right-back of late, freeing up a place in midfield.