Arsenal have completed their first signing of the summer by bringing in Germany international Kai Havertz from Chelsea.
The Premier League runners-up fought off competition from Bayern Munich to seal a deal reportedly worth £65m for the 24-year-old.
The move comes after a determined pursuit from Arsenal, who had initial approaches rejected by their Premier League rivals before agreeing terms.
“It’s super exciting for me to be joining this amazing club and to be part of the Arsenal family,” Havertz told the Arsenal website.
“This club has such a big history, and I hope we can achieve lots of things.
“The mentality in the Arsenal squad is very high and you can feel that. That was one of the reasons why it has been so hard to play against Arsenal recently.
“The aim is to win trophies and I’m going to give everything to do that for the supporters and everyone at the club.
“I’m now looking forward to meeting all the players and the staff when we come back for pre-season.”
Welcome to The Arsenal, Kai Havertz 🤩
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) June 28, 2023
Havertz departs Stamford Bridge three years after making a £62.5m switch to England from Bayer Leverkusen.
He had two years remaining on his contract at Chelsea, but his eagerness to leave and the club’s need to raise funds in the market led to a departure.
The Blues had a poor 2022/23 campaign, finishing 12th and going through three managers despite spending around £600m on new signings over two windows.
It was the club’s lowest league finish since coming 14th in 1993/94, and a difficult one for Havertz too.
The versatile German was regularly deployed as a striker but mustered nine goals in 47 appearances in all competitions under Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard.
Havertz leaves Chelsea with a record of 32 goals and 15 assists in 139 games.
He scored the winner in the 2020/21 Champions League final against Manchester City, clinching the European title for the second time in Chelsea’s history.
The German also netted the winning penalty in the FIFA Club World Cup final against Palmeiras in February 2022 and picked up a winners’ medal in the UEFA Super Cup.
Kai Havertz has joined Arsenal on a permanent deal. ✍️
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) June 28, 2023
Havertz’s versatility will be an asset to Mikel Arteta next season, with the 24-year-old able to play as a No. 10, a striker or out wide.
The Gunners finished second in 2022/23, their highest finish in seven years, and will be hoping to challenge Manchester City for the title next term.
Arsenal have also reportedly agreed a fee with West Ham to sign Declan Rice.
