Former Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre has made the worrying observation that Kai Havertz looks like a player low on confidence and in need of support from his manager.
The Germany international left Chelsea for Arsenal in a slightly surprising move this summer, with a number of Gunners fans likely to have been unconvinced by the signing after his struggles at Stamford Bridge.
Although Havertz scored a memorable winning goal for Chelsea in the Champions League final win over Manchester City in 2021, he mostly failed to live up to expectations and never quite found his best role in the team.
Arsenal clearly took a bit of a gamble on signing Havertz, and Silvestre is already seeing signs that he seems short of belief.
Still, the Frenchman, who played for both Arsenal and Manchester United in his career in the Premier League, has backed Havertz to have it in him to be a key player for Mikel Arteta’s side this season.
“That miss (from Kai Havertz) against United was a perfect example of a player that’s doubting himself, and it’s a difficult moment right now,” Silvestre said, as quoted by football.london.
“A lot is playing on his mind. He will need to get some goals and assists.
“He’s mature enough to find the keys, and Arteta will support him through this period because they invested heavily in him, and he should be an important player for the squad this season.”
It doesn’t,t help when the fans immediately get on his back.He wasn’t bought for goals,he was bought for his linking skills in midfield and he is doing well under Artetas systems.If we encourage him we may well be rewarded as his confidence returns with goals as well.