In an interview with SportBILD, former Chelsea star Michael Ballack has said that Kai Havertz should assert himself at Arsenal by all means possible.
The German ace signed for the Gunners from the Blues during the last transfer window. The move raised some eyebrows, considering the London club agreed to pay £65 million for his services. Havertz has since struggled to make a significant impact and he has yet to score for the Gunners from open play.
This has led to suggestions that he could leave the club soon but speaking to SportBILD, Ballack said that Havertz has outstanding skills but he is too reserved. The German legend added that Havertz needs to assert himself at Arsenal by all means possible with more robustness and a better mentality.
He said: “Kai Havertz has outstanding skills. But as already mentioned: he seems a bit too reserved for me. You need a certain robustness and mentality, especially abroad, to assert yourself in difficult situations. I hope he gets it done. In my opinion it is still too early for that (an exit). He should assert himself at Arsenal by all means possible.”
Plenty of time
Havertz has been unconvincing with his performances during his debut season for Arsenal. The 24-year-old played as a main centre-forward during his time at Chelsea but he has been asked to operate from a midfield position with the Gunners. His adaptation is taking much longer than expected.
Despite this, manager Mikel Arteta has offered his complete backing to the Bayer Leverkusen graduate and he is prepared to get the best out of him through regular minutes. Havertz has been more mobile in the final 3rd in recent games, but he needs to register goals and assists to alleviate pressure.
Ballack has sent the perfect response to his compatriot. Havertz tends to play with more freedom for Germany which has not been the case in the Premier League. He has plenty of time on his hands, having only recently joined Arsenal, but the fans won’t stay patient if he can’t find his feet very soon.
