03 November 2023 , 18:32
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Kai Havertz has been told he needs a "big moment" to get out of the tailspin that has left him looking like a "broken man".
The German international joined Arsenal for £65million in the summer transfer window, but has so far failed to live up to his price tag. The 24-year-old has scored just one goal and notched only one assist for the Gunners in 16 games in all competitions.
Even that goal came when his team-mates demanded he took a penalty against Bournemouth, in a game they were already well on the way to winning. Admittedly, boss Mikel Arteta has deployed him more in midfield than in the attacking positions he played in at Chelsea.
But former Premier League winner Chris Sutton is concerned that Havertz is failing to deliver on his price tag. And he insisted that the former Chelsea star appears to have zero confidence in his abilities.
"Havertz looks a broken man, a player with absolutely zero confidence. Having been there myself, it's not a nice place to be. The effort is there but he seems muddled," Sutton told the It's All Coming Up podcast.
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"His decision-making isn't good. He's trying but looking at his body language... he needs a break, a big moment. Not sympathy penalties like earlier in the season."
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Kai Havertz has been labelled a "broken man" amid his struggles at Arsenal (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Havertz endured another difficult game in the defeat to West Ham in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night. But the German has received the full backing of his manager, with Arteta pointing to Granit Xhaka's turnaround in form as a model for Havertz to follow.
"I'm not going to talk about any individual like that. We are a team, and when we play at our best it's the team, and when we don't, I am the one who is responsible for that. We all need to try and improve every single day," he said.
"I think there's been an evolution. I think we've gone from the 10s, to the 20s, to the 80s, to the 100s and there's been players who cost £220 million as well, so it's not as though we are getting used to it.
"It’s something that is happening and is happening more and more often. On other players and other clubs, what we are doing, there is no comment on that. First of all, it's what can we do to improve our team.
"And then can we afford it, and does it make sense in our project to spend certain money on certain players. Granit was a key player, he played almost every game for us. We know that it is going to take some time.
"Like it did take him [Xhaka] some time, especially when I changed his role. There were a lot of questions about it and then he evolved in a great way and here it will happen the same."