Shaka Hislop, a former Premier League goalkeeper, has expressed his surprise at Arsenal’s reported interest in signing Chelsea forward Kai Havertz during the ongoing summer transfer window of 2023.
Hislop admitted that he was taken aback by the rumors and expressed uncertainty regarding Havertz’s potential role at Arsenal.
According to Hislop, Havertz has not made a significant impact during his time at Chelsea, leading him to find the whole situation “really weird.”
Speaking to ESPN, Hislop stated that Havertz’s lack of notable achievements at Chelsea raises doubts about his value and whether he can replicate his form from his days at Bayer Leverkusen.
With new manager Mauricio Pochettino now in charge at Stamford Bridge, it is expected that he will seek to bring in new players to address the team’s issues.
However, due to the excessive number of senior players on Chelsea’s roster, the club will have to offload some players before they can make additions. Havertz seems to fall into this category.
Hislop believes that Arsenal’s reported interest in Havertz could be seen as a gesture of assistance to their London rivals.
By expressing interest in the struggling forward, Arsenal might be helping Chelsea in their efforts to offload some of their underperforming stars.
Expressing his surprise at the potential transfer, Hislop questioned where Havertz would fit into the Arsenal team.
He also pondered whether the German player would be brought in as a squad player, as he struggled to identify which player in Arsenal’s lineup Havertz would replace.
Hislop finds the whole situation puzzling and does not see the rationale behind such a move.
The only factor that could work in Havertz’s favor, according to Hislop, is the example of Timo Werner, who struggled at Chelsea but found his form again after returning to Germany.
However, Hislop finds it peculiar for a purchasing club to spend more than £70 million on a player based on such a speculative perspective.
Although Chelsea fans are eager to sell Havertz, Arsenal fans may have reservations about the potential acquisition. However, Hislop acknowledges that ultimately, it is Mikel Arteta’s judgment that must be trusted in this matter.
