Arsenal have agreed to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea for a fee of €70m, plus €5m in add-ons.
Havertz will sign a long-term deal having set his sights on moving to last season’s Premier League runners-up, as opposed to returning to the Bundesliga, after what has been a largely frustrating time at Stamford Bridge for the Germany forward.
He arrived from Bayer Leverkusen for an initial club record fee of €83m in August 2020 and with the reputation of being one of Europe’s most exciting young talents.. There were flashes of his talents at Chelsea but, in general, he underwhelmed, in large part from being deployed as a central striker, which is not his preferred position.
The 24-year-old’s departure is part of an overhaul of Chelsea’s squad that includes N’Golo Kanté joining the Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad on a free transfer and Mateo Kovacic moving to Manchester City for €29m.
Irish Times Sportswoman of the Year Awards: ‘The greatest collection of women in Irish sport in one place ever assembled’
Two-time Olympic champion Kellie Harrington named Irish Times/Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year 2024
Pub staff struggled to keep up with giddy Shamrock Rovers fans who enjoyed every moment of Chelsea trip
Money a whole different ball game as NFL and GAA eye Croke Park game
Mikel Arteta is a long-time admirer of Havertz and believes he can help his team bridge the gap to City. His arrival is expected to be followed by that of Declan Rice. Arsenal had a second bid of €104m rejected by West Ham on Tuesday but should sign the midfielder soon, more than likely for around €116m.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have been forced to pull their new home shirt from shelves while a “design error” is corrected by the manufacturer, Adidas.
The shirt, which has a retail price of €127, honours Arsenal’s Invincibles. Within the design, the outcome of the 38 results is detailed with a row of Ws and Ds to highlight the wins and draws from across the 2003-04 season. However, the shirt, which will be worn by the players, carries only 32 of the 38 results and has been removed from sale.
“The 2023-24 Arsenal home authentic jerseys are temporarily unavailable while a design error is being corrected,” Adidas said in a statement.
“We are working closely with the club and our partners to ensure restocked jerseys are available as soon as possible, and are offering full refunds to fans who have already bought one.
“This design error falls short of the standards we set ourselves as a brand, and we apologise to the club and its fans. The replica ‘fan’ version of the home jersey is unaffected and widely available now.”
