Arsenal have so far had a busy summer transfer window.
After finishing second in the Premier League, just five points behind eventual champions Manchester City, the Gunners are now preparing to close that gap even more.
Backing Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s owners have appeared willing to splash the cash this summer, with negotiations for Declan Rice continuing while Kai Havertz has agreed to join from Chelsea for £65m.
What has Fabrizio Romano said about Mikel Arteta and Kai Havertz?
But it hasn’t just been the Kroenke family’s support that influenced Havertz’s decision to move to his cross-town rivals. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Arteta also played a crucial role in convincing the German to make the move.
“Mikel Arteta has been really, really important in Arsenal’s deal to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea,” Romano wrote in his exclusive CaughtOffside column.
“[…] Arteta is delighted this is going to happen. The Spaniard did everything he could to convince Havertz that a move to Arsenal was best for him, and the player agreed.
“Havertz believes that playing for Arteta and Arsenal was the best project, not just in England, but throughout the whole of Europe. Havertz thinks Arteta’s style, ideas and plans will only help make him a better player.”
This level of insight will be hugely exciting news to Arsenal fans. Although Havertz will forever be connected to their rivals, after learning how eager he has been to swap blue for red, as well as how highly he thinks of Arteta’s management skills, fans will certainly be more inclined to forgive the 24-year-old’s decision to play for Chelsea.