Former Arsenal player Alan Smith thinks new midfielder Granit Xhaka could be overshadowed by summer arrival Kai Havertz.
Havertz, who recently moved to Arsenal from Premier League rivals Chelsea, was praised by Smith, who called him a more technically proficient player than Xhaka.
Recall that Xhaka departed Arsenal over the summer transfer window to join Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen for a reported cost of €15 million.
The Switzerland international scored seven goals and registered seven assists from 37 Premier League games in the 2022-2023 campaign for Arsenal.
Havertz, who appears to have replaced Xhaka in Mikel Arteta’s starting lineup this season, is failed to settle in at the North London club.
The German international has started all four of Arsenal’s Premier League games this season, although he has yet to contribute to a goal.
“I’m not saying it will take Havertz a season but he is just finding his feet in that squad, that dressing room, and that first XI,” Smith said of Havertz (via TBR).
In Arteta’s words, “I think he is a very good player technically, I think he can be a good player for us, and I heard Arteta say he wants to be getting himself in the box at the end of things, a bit like Xhaka did last season.”
And he went on to say, “I think Havertz can be better than that as he’s got more of an attacking instinct and he is a good finisher when he gets in those positions.”
