Kai Havertz sends Mikel Arteta Arsenal message amid Benjamin Sesko transfer talk

Arsenal ace Kai Havertz has revealed that he now sees himself as a No.9 for both club and country. Making the move to the Emirates Stadium last June in a big-money move from Chelsea, question marks surrounded the German’s best position in the team after a mixed time in west London.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta initially utilised his new signing in midfield before eventually moving him up front in the second part of the campaign. The change brought out the best in Havertz during the run-in as the Gunners challenged Man City for the Premier League title, with the 24-year-old chipping in with nine goals in the final four months of the season.

Certainly an asset for Arsenal as a striker, the north London club are looking to strengthen in that area of the pitch this summer as they bid to hit the next level under Arteta. Going so close in the Premier League title race and knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich at the quarter-final stage, the addition of a proven goalscorer over the next few months could potentially make all the difference to Arsenal’s lofty aspirations come next May.

Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres has been linked with a switch to the Emirates Stadium following such a prolific season in Portugal, with Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig someone of interest to Arsenal. football.london understands Arsenal are still pursuing a potential move for Sesko and are still hoping they can find room to negotiate down the player’s reported release clause of £45million.

Ahead of Arsenal’s pursuit of a new striker this summer, Havertz has opened up on what he believes is his best position.

“I clearly see myself as a No.9 in the national team – and that’s what I am now at Arsenal,” he told Welt am Sonntag (via Sport Witness). “But I don’t mean the classic nine. Where else are they available? Even Erling Haaland or Harry Kane, who you immediately think of, don’t just stand in the box and wait for the finish. The players who are waiting there no longer exist in modern football.

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“I am someone who enjoys letting go and making deep runs. But it is also clear to me that I will be measured by goals.”

Amid the criticism that came his way during his time at Chelsea and also the early stages of his Arsenal career, Havertz has admitted that sometimes he thinks about doing something else totally different to his life as a professional footballer. However, the Aachen-born player has revealed that he can now cope with the criticism and tries to live “as normally as possible”.

“Sometimes I think to myself that I would rather be a student who lives in a cool city and lives his life,” he added. “But that usually goes away pretty quickly because I love playing football. The hustle and bustle around it is part of it. That’s fun too; of course, more when things are going well.

“And if that’s not the case, things go extremely wrong. Then you are devastated and exhausted because there is ridicule and criticism. But I can now deal with it very well and try to live my life as normally as possible.”