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The polarising summer signing was scouted by the club more than 25 times as Arsene Wenger was looking for a creative midfielder to give his attack-minded side more options.
Arsenal kept track of Kai Havertz and were willing to sign him when Arsene Wenger was still manager of the club.
This is according to the Athletic’s David Ornstein, who has revealed that the polarising summer signing was scouted by the club more than 25 times as Arsene Wenger was looking for a creative midfielder to give his attack-minded side more options.
“Arsenal’s pursuit of Kai Havertz goes way back before Mikel Arteta, so they were very interested in him when he was a young player at Bayer Leverkusen,” Ornstein told The Athletic Podcast.
“They scouted him extensively under the Arsene Wenger regime, so you are talking about recruitment personal like Francis Cagigao, Peter Clarke, Brian McDermott and Daniel Karbassiyoon.
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23:48 - 25.11.2023
I don't know — Arsenal's Kai Havertz says he is clueless about his best position
Arsenal player Kai Havertz says he does not know what his best position is.
“They were watching his debut season at great length. I was told that at least 25 games [were watched]. So he was on their radar very much.
“ At one point when he was really young he was more seen as a development player on the left wing and then around 2020, before joining Chelsea, it was in the number 10 role and other players they were looking at around then including the likes of Fekir, Ruiz and Odegaard, who eventually came to sign.
“They were always in contact with the representatives and it was about when he whether sign a contract [at Leverkusen], when he did which was always his intention, his value went out of the bracket Arsenal were looking to spend in those days and that’s why by the time Chelsea came on the scene, Arsenal were not there on that price level.”
Ornstein has revealed that over the summer, the club monitored Havertz’s former Chelsea teammate Mason Mount and kept abreast of Ilkay Gundogan’s contract situation at city, but ultimately settled at the German international.
“But that shows there is background and history to this. Fast forward to the summer just gone and coming towards the spring time, March, I think Arsenal had him on their radar yet again, given he was approaching the final two years of his contract.
“It’s fair to say they were prioritising somebody like Mason Mount, Ilkay Gundagon were in the mix, there were other names as well – Kai Havertz was in and amongst it – and Arteta was a firm fan of his, so I think it was him who was driving this, Edu was on board as well and it really developed very quickly when Havertz started to be linked with Real Madrid in particular and Bayern Munich a little bit too.
“I started to check this out and was told not so sure, Bayern were there a little bit, Madrid were waiting to see what was unfolding with Harry Kane but once he found out about Arsenal’s interest I’m told there was a Zoom conversation with Mikel Arteta and Havertz was then fully committed to Arsenal. That was his desire.”
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08:05 - 30.11.2023
Arsenal break multiple Champions League records after destroying Lens at the Emirates
Arsenal were in the mood as they pounded RC Lens 6-0, breaking several Champions League records on the night they secured their place in the knockout stage as Group B winners.
That Arsenal were scouting Kai Havertz when Arsene Wenger was the manager shows just how long the Gunners had followed the German before they signed him in the summer of 2023.
It indicates that the Arsenal recruitment team does think that Havertz is a very good fit for the Gunners.
Havertz has scored two goals and given one assist in eight Premier League starts and also netted his maiden Champions League goal for Arsenal against Lens as the side cruised to a 6-0 win to qualify from the group B as winners with a game to spare.
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22:00 - 27.11.2023
STARS ABROAD Michael Olunga makes Asian Champions League history with brace for Al Duhail
Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga scored twice as Qatar champions Al Duhail downed FC Istiklol from Tajikistan to make him the top scorer for his club in the AFC Champions League
Follow our Pulse Sports WhatsApp channel for more updates.
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