Kai Havertz: Should we expect more?

Kai Havertz had a game to forget against Manchester United as Arsenal fell to a 2-0 defeat in New Jersey on Saturday. 

Despite it just being a friendly, many would have been desperate for a win to ensure progression under Mikel Arteta over the summer.

Not only that, but there was over £200m worth of new players on display in the game with Jurrien Timber, Declan Rice and Havertz all playing a part.

Featuring in a left-sided midfield role, Havertz struggled in the friendly against United, struggling to make any sort of impact before his substitution in the 70th minute.

In fact, the German international completed just 14 passes and failed to complete a dribble meaning his impact with the ball was pretty much non-existent.

This comes after his incredibly poor showing in the MLS All-Star Skill Challenge, which could raise the eyebrows of some Arsenal supporters.

Whilst he has the capacity to be incredibly important when triggering a press, and working hard without the ball, there hasn’t been enough on show so far to justify his £60m fee.

Should more be expected of Havertz?

To give Havertz the benefit of the doubt, he’s coming off a poor season at Chelsea where every aspect of the club was a mess.

Now, he’s settling into a new system, a new manager with a new philosophy who has different tactical ideas for him within his team.

That’s a lot to take on board over a pre-season and it might be the case that Arsenal doesn’t see the best of Havertz until six or seven weeks into the season.

That being said, £60m should get you world-class talent, and should world-class talent demanding a high fee need time to settle in?

With a lacklustre display so far in the US, coming back over to England could see the penny drop for Havertz and his performances start to improve.