Arsenal legend Paul Merson has said he is convinced that newly signed forward Kai Havertz would make the Gunners a better team but has warned the forward could face accusations over his work rate as Mesut Ozil once did in north London.
The Germany international has successfully switched from Chelsea to their London rivals in a £65million deal.
Havertz joined Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen in 2020, then regarded as one of the most promising talents in Europe.
While he enjoyed some memorable moments at Stamford Bridge, including scoring their Champions League-winning goal in 2021, he has faced questions over whether he can fulfil his true potential.
Mikel Arteta was the driving force behind Arsenal’s interest in Havertz and envisions the 24-year-old starring in a number of different roles in his starting XI next season.
Former Arsenal star Merson however believes Havertz’ style will inevitably draw comparisons with that of Ozil – the same player Arteta exiled from the squad four years ago.
“Arsenal should be buzzing with Kai Havertz, he makes them a better team,” Merson wrote in his column for Sky Sports.
“The only problem I could see with Havertz is similar to that experienced by Mesut Ozil at Arsenal. If it’s not going well, Havertz doesn’t look too interested.
“That’s just down to the way he plays, it’s just the way certain players are, it’s not that he’s not trying.
“If you’re having a good game, Havertz looks elegant, silky, but if it’s not going well, people will say he’s not running around or trying.
“That’s his only problem, but make no mistake, he improves Arsenal.”
