On Thursday, January 23, 2025, former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves came to the defense of Arsenal’s Kai Havertz amid growing calls for the club to sign a new striker before the January transfer window closes.
Arsenal have been actively seeking a striker this month and have been linked with high-profile names such as Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray, Matheus Cunha of Wolves, and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko. Despite this, Havertz has come under scrutiny for his recent performances, although he has scored 14 goals in all competitions for Arsenal this season.
In Arsenal’s 3-0 Champions League victory over Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday, Havertz found the net once again, but Hargreaves urged fans and critics to understand his value. Speaking on TNT Sports, he said, “Everybody goes on about Kai being a centre forward. I love him, I know he’s not a striker but he gives you so much.”
Hargreaves went on to praise Havertz’s qualities, emphasizing his versatility. “He has great awareness, he’s so patient. He’s got great size, you can play off him as a 10, he can set people up,” he explained.
While acknowledging that Havertz is not quite in the league of a traditional goal machine like Osimhen or Harry Kane, Hargreaves insisted that Havertz remains a “brilliant option” for Mikel Arteta’s squad. “I know he’s not Osimhen or Harry Kane but actually he shouldn’t be your main striker but he is a brilliant option,” he added.
