Arsenal have completed a £65m deal to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea on an unspecified long-term deal.
The German striker becomes Arsenal’s first summer signing with the Gunners also eyeing deals for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, for whom they accepted a £105m offer on Wednesday, and Ajax defender Jurrien Timber.
Havertz has signed a long-term deal at the Emirates to mark the end of a three-season spell at Chelsea.
The 24-year-old secured his place in Blues history by scoring the goal that gave them a second Champions League crown in 2021.
Chelsea signed Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen in 2020 for £75m but were looking to recoup a substantial part of what they paid for after an indifferent final campaign at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues are understood to be pleased with the deal as Havertz, who had two years remaining on his contract with the Blues, had made it clear that he wanted to leave the club.
Havertz was often deployed as a leader at Stamford Bridge, but Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, speaking to the club’s website when announcing his arrival, suggested that the German international’s place at the Emirates Stadium would be in midfield.
“Kai is a top quality player,” he said. “He has great versatility and he is a smart player. He will bring a lot of extra strength to our midfield and variety to our game.”
“We welcome Kai and his family to Arsenal Football Club and we are all excited to start working with him when we start pre-season training soon.”
Chelsea paid tribute to their Champions League winner in their own statement, saying his name had been “engraved in club folklore” and would “always have a place in our history”.
Havertz praises squad mentality after Arsenal arrival
also talking to arsenal.com After completing his move, Havertz paid tribute to his new team’s squad mentality, highlighting where he thought the Gunners had strengthened when they faced them as opponents during his time at Chelsea.
The Gunners won both league meetings between the two teams last season and have beaten the Blues five out of six times since Havertz moved to Stamford Bridge in 2020.
“It’s super exciting for me to join this amazing club and be part of the Arsenal family,” he said. “This club has a great history and I hope we can achieve many things.
“The mentality in the Arsenal team is very high and you can feel that. That was one of the reasons why it has been so difficult to play against Arsenal recently.”
“The goal is to win trophies and I’m going to give my all to do it for the fans and everyone at the club. Now I’m looking forward to meeting all the players and staff when we return for pre-season.” “
Who wins with the transfer of Havertz to Arsenal?
Havertz will be one of the most expensive Premier League signings in the summer transfer window despite having endured a difficult season with Chelsea.
Arsenal have signed the Germany international from Chelsea, following a three-year spell at Stamford Bridge during which he has struggled to find consistency following his £75m arrival from Bayer Leverkusen.
How will Havertz be remembered at Chelsea? Which club is getting the better end of the deal? And what are the qualities that make you so attractive to Arsenal and Mikel Arteta?
Read Joe Shread and Nick Wright’s thoughts here.
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