Former Tottenham manager, Harry Redknapp has complimented new Arsenal forward Kai Havertz, claiming no one has seen the best of the German yet.
Kai Havertz joined Arsenal in a £65 million deal from Chelsea, having endured a difficult three years at Stamford Bridge.
The 24-year-old had the world at his feet when during his time in the German Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, has found life difficult in the Premier League since making the switch in 2020 as a 21-year-old.
Compared to his explosive years in Leverkusen, Havertz has managed just 32 goals in 139 appearances and is ready to take on a new challenge in North London.
Harry Redknapp, who knows a thing or two about signing underperforming players and making them deliver, has now claimed that Havertz, like Declan Rice will be, is a great signing for Arsenal.
He said: “I think he and Rice will be a great signing for them,” Redknapp told TalkSPORT.
“I think they’ve made a couple – him and Havertz. We haven’t seen the best of him. He’s got to be better than what he has shown at Chelsea.
“I think they are two big signings for Arsenal.”
Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp believes Kai Havertz and Declan are great signings for Arsenal (Image credit: Getty Images)
Former Bayer Leverkusen head coach Tayfun Korkut, when Kai Havertz joined Chelsea in 2020 told Skysports that his mentality is the biggest trait the German possess.
“This is possibly the most special thing about him, his mental power. You will not see the difference in him whether he is playing against Ingolstadt or Real Madrid, whether he is playing to avoid relegation or win a championship. He will always plays the same and at a high level.
“Even at 17, he did not have ups and downs. It was not about the coach being brave, it was about the player. He gave me that feeling that he could play those big games and he could. He has this unbelievable mental strength. I do not know if it translates into English but he is like an ice man.
“When you watch him now, you cannot tell if he is under pressure. I don’t know what he is feeling inside but he does not show it and that is an important quality if you want to be one of the best.
“Playing for big clubs is different. It is about mental toughness. There are a lot of nice young players out there. But to play for the biggest clubs. To play for Bayern Munich, Manchester United or Chelsea, you need to have something more than just talent. This boy has that.
“It is not about being able to shoot fantastically well or because he can play the final pass, even though he can do those things. It is because of these mental qualities. That is the difference.”
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The Gunners surprised many when they decided to make a move to sign the German from Chelsea, but Mikel Arteta believes he is a ‘top quality’ with versatility and intelligence.
Arteta said: “Kai is a player of top quality. He has great versatility and is an intelligent player. He will bring a huge amount of extra strength to our midfield and variety to our play.
While Havertz himself believes the mentality in his new team is the reason he decided to join the project.
“It’s super exciting for me to be joining this amazing club and to be part of the Arsenal family. This club has such a big history, and I hope we can achieve lots of things.
“The mentality in the Arsenal squad is very high and you can feel that. That was one of the reasons why it has been so hard to play against Arsenal recently.
“The aim is to win trophies and I’m going to give everything to do that for the supporters and everyone at the club. I’m now looking forward to meeting all the players and the staff when we come back for pre-season.”
Kai Havertz will have the opportunity to begin his Arsenal career on the pitch against 1. FC Nurnberg on Thursday afternoon in a preseason game in Germany.
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