Kai Havertz seems to have been unofficially confirmed as an Arsenal player after a picture of him in his new strip has been 'leaked'. The 24-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium recently, with Mikel Arteta eager to further bolster his attack ahead of next season.
football.london understands that the Gunners could announce the arrival of Havertz as early as this week. After an opening bid was rejected, Arsenal returned with an improved offer worth £60million, including £5million worth of add-ons, which Chelsea have accepted.
Subject to a medical, it's believed that the Germany international will become the north Londoners' first signing of the summer. While it remains to be seen whether Havertz has in fact passed his fitness assessments, the 'leaked' image on social media – which if it's not fake – suggests he has and that he could be unveiled imminently.
A Twitter user by the name of @MoArsenal86 posted a picture of the German supposedly posing in next season's Arsenal home shirt. The tweet was then followed up with a message which reads: "Don’t ask me how I got the pic. Yes it is 100% real."
Unsurprisingly, the post has sent most Arsenal fans into a frenzy on social media. However, some have cast doubt over the image and suggested that it could be photoshopped.
Until Arsenal or Chelsea confirm the player's move across London then it's unlikely that the picture will be confirmed as real or fake. Nonetheless, earlier this week in an interview with Spanish outlet Marca, Arteta spoke of his admiration for Havertz ahead of the German's potential move to the Emirates.
"Talent comes at a price, and at Arsenal we are always interested in youngsters with experience," said the Gunners boss. "I repeat, I'm not talking about players from other clubs, but in the case of Kai he has already shown a lot, including in the Champions League. He is a talented player, versatile and only 24 years old."
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Despite having been given a seal of approval for Arteta, Ray Parlour isn't convinced by the German. Speaking on talkSPORT, the former Arsenal midfielder said: "You need an out and out goalscorer, if you're Arsenal.
"They've got so much good backup play behind the striker, but they need someone to put the ball in the net. For me, I don't think that's the right signing.
"But obviously Edu and Mikel Arteta will be talking behind the scenes and thinking he can play here or there. There might be a plan for him.
"Any player coming into any club, you've got to give them a chance. But for me, it's a shame, I'd have gone for Ivan Toney but he's obviously got that ban and whether they want to take a chance with that…but he would have been the obvious choice for me."
