Darren Bent has admitted that he was initially skeptical about Arsenal’s decision to sign Kai Havertz, but he has since changed his mind as the German international begins to impress in Mikel Arteta’s team.
Havertz joined Arsenal last season in a surprising move, but Arteta was confident he was acquiring a talented player. The manager has consistently backed his new signing, and Havertz has now found a role that suits him perfectly within the squad.
Currently playing as a false nine for Arsenal, Havertz’s performances have been strong enough to see him bench Gabriel Jesus, who has been a traditional striker throughout his career. His progress as a key attacking player for Arsenal has led fans to recognise his value to the team.
Bent is among those who have reassessed their opinions; the former striker recently admitted that he did not believe Havertz was a good signing at first. However, he now acknowledges the impact Havertz has made and appreciates his contributions to the team.
He told Talk Sport:
“I was one, and I hold my hands up and say I thought £65 million on Kai Havertz, a guy who previously the season before scored seven goals and got one assist, I said, ‘absolutely not, £65m? Come on’.
“But since then he has been given the confidence by Mikel Arteta and he has been to a point where… there’s an argument that he’s Arsenal’s most important player, and that includes [Bukayo] Saka in that as well.”
