Kai Havertz opens up on what he believes is his best position on the pitch

June 1, 2024Ligue 1

Kai Havertz believes centre forward is his best position, but the Arsenal star doesn’t see himself as a traditional number nine.

Havertz joined the Gunners in a deal worth upwards of £60m from rivals Chelsea last summer, a move which was widely criticised.

Despite scoring the goal which won the Champions League for Chelsea in 2021, the German really struggled in his three years at Stamford Bridge following his arrival from the Bundesliga.

Havertz believes centre forward is his best position

The 24-year-old endured a slow start to life at the Emirates as he adapted to Arsenal and the demands of Mikel Arteta.

However, by Christmas Havertz started to find his feet and get up to speed, and he ended his first campaign in north London with 14 goals and seven assists from 51 games in all competitions.

Havertz started the season playing as part of a midfield trio with Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice, but ended up establishing himself as a key player for Arteta after taking the centre forward role from Gabriel Jesus.

Havertz emerged as a key player for Arsenal in his debut campaign at the Emirates.

Unfortunately for Havertz, despite his good individual season the Gunners finished two points behind Manchester City in the Premier League title race, but will be hoping to play a key role on home soil for Germany at this summer’s Euros.

The German international revealed in an interview that he sees his best position as a number nine, but not in the traditional sense.

“I clearly see myself as a No 9 in the national team, and that’s what I am now at Arsenal,” he said in quotes picked up by TEAMtalk.

“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.