Kai Havertz could be the latest player to swap Chelsea for Arsenal as Mikel Arteta's side ramp up their transfer interest in the German international.
Jorginho, Willian, David Luiz and Petr Cech have all moved from the west Londoners to their northern rivals over the last few years and football.london revealed last week that the latest Blues player that the Gunners hold an interest in is young playmaker Havertz
The former Bayer Leverkusen star is open to the idea of leaving Mauricio Pochettino's men but price tag could be an issue considering Chelsea want around £70million for the talented playmaker. Now, ESPN have claimed that the 24-year-old's versatility is a key reason for Arsenal's willingness to pursue a deal.
The Gunners are said to see Havertz as capable of operating as a number eight, a No.10 or in any of the three attacking positions in an interchangeable 4-3-3 frontline. Arteta has previously made it no secret of his admiration for malleable, versatile players, recruiting the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard over the last 12 months - who are both more than capable of being utilised as a centre-forward or on the wings.
Similarly in defence, the Spaniard has brought in Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu - who have been deployed in a number of different roles across the backline. "Obviously we talk, because when you are thinking about doing something to maximise the resources you have in the squad to play the way we want to play, you have to have certainty that the player is happy to do so, and feels capable to do that," Arteta said regarding White playing right-back back in September 2022
“If not, it is just a waste of time. So it has to go both ways, I have those discussions with Ben, he’s always been very open.
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"I think he’s really enjoying playing in that position, that’s why he’s been doing so well. I think it’s great for him, at his age, to be involved in other positions.”
When asked about Tomiyasu, the former Manchester City assistant coach added: “Both can play as central defenders as well. Tomi has been playing left centre back for his national team Japan.
"When you look at the games, he can play as a left back too, because you cannot tell me if he’s a left or right-footed player. So we have the options there, and we have to utilise them in the best possible way.
"Especially with the number of minutes we are going to have in the next few weeks, and it’s great that players are comfortable doing more than one position.”
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