On their website, Arsenal announced: "Germany international Kai Havertz has joined us on a permanent deal from Chelsea. The 24-year-old has been a mainstay for Chelsea and the national team in recent years. He has made a total of 35 appearances for the national team, scoring 13 goals and participating in two major tournaments."

For his part, Kai Havertz expressed his joy and pride in becoming a member of Arsenal. “It is exciting for me to join this great club and become part of the Arsenal family. This club has a long history and I hope we can achieve many good things together. The goal is to win trophies. I will give everything to do that for the supporters and the club,” Arsenal's homepage quoted Kai Havertz as saying.

Kai Havertz is Arsenal's first new signing of this transfer window. Photo: Sky Sports

The parties did not disclose the details of the agreement, but British media reported that the Emirates team had to spend 65 million pounds to get Kai Havertz's signature. At Arsenal, Kai Havertz continues to wear his favorite number 29 shirt. After being announced, Kai Havertz will soon gather with his new teammates to prepare for the summer tour before the new season next July.

According to Dailymail, the contract value includes a £62 million transfer fee and £3 million in additional fees depending on Kai Havertz's performance in the North London team. In addition, Arsenal also agreed to give Kai Havertz a 5-year contract with a salary of £210,000/week. If the above figure is correct, Chelsea has suffered a loss in this deal. The Stamford Bridge team spent more than £71 million to buy the German star in 2020.

In the 2022-2023 season, Kai Havertz mainly played as a striker and did not show much. His declining performance reduced his value. On the other hand, the player born in 1999 also wanted to change his playing environment after three seasons of dedication to The Blues.

On the contrary, Arsenal still appreciate Kai Havertz's talent and believe that the German star will shine when placed in the right position. "Kai Havertz is a top player. He is very versatile and intelligent. He will bring strength and diversity to our midfield," Dailymail quoted coach Mikel Arteta as saying.

Kai Havertz has not performed as expected in Chelsea's shirt. Photo: 90min

Kai Havertz came through the Bayer Leverkusen academy, where he signed his first professional contract in 2016. In four years with the Bayer Leverkusen first team, the striker made 150 appearances, scoring 46 goals and providing 31 assists. The German striker is a versatile attacker who can play in a number of positions across the front line. The 24-year-old can also play as a number 10 when needed.

In the summer of 2020, Kai Havertz moved to Chelsea for £72 million excluding add-ons. Despite high expectations at Stamford Bridge, the German star's performance was inconsistent. Before leaving, Kai Havertz played a total of 139 matches for Chelsea, scoring 32 goals and assisting 14 times. The biggest mark Kai Havertz made with The Blues was the only goal against Man City in the 2021 Champions League final, helping the West London team to a surprising championship.

In addition to the Kai Havertz deal, Arsenal are also ready to spend a large amount of money to reform the midfield with striker Declan Rice. According to the latest update from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, West Ham have informed the "Gunners" that they have accepted an offer of 100 million pounds plus 5 million pounds in additional fees for their captain. The Sun clearly stated that once the deal is successful, Declan Rice will become the most expensive English player in the world, surpassing the 100 million pounds that Man City paid for Jack Grealish in 2021.

THAI HA (synthesis)