KAI HAVERTZ has completed his £65million transfer to Arsenal from rivals Chelsea.
But he looks set to feature in a new position under Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners confirmed the deal this evening – just moments after also agreeing to sign Declan Rice for £105m.
And the German will wear his beloved No29 shirt – after having the number at Bayer Leverkusen and Chelsea.
Havertz, 24, said: “It’s super exciting for me to be joining this amazing club and to be part of the Arsenal family.
“This club has such a big history, and I hope we can achieve lots of things.
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“The mentality in the Arsenal squad is very high and you can feel that.
“That was one of the reasons why it has been so hard to play against Arsenal recently.
“The aim is to win trophies and I’m going to give everything to do that for the supporters and everyone at the club.
“I’m now looking forward to meeting all the players and the staff when we come back for pre-season.”
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Havertz spent three years at Stamford Bridge, scoring the winner in the Champions League final before adding Super Cup and Club World Cup winner’s medals.
However, after playing as a forward – and usually as a striker – for Chelsea, Arteta hinted he could be ready to switch into a new role at the Emirates.
Manager Mikel Arteta added: “Kai is a player of top quality. He has great versatility and is an intelligent player.
“He will bring a huge amount of extra strength to our midfield and variety to our play.
“We welcome Kai and his family to Arsenal Football Club and we are all excited to start working with him when we start pre-season training soon.”
Havertz scored 32 goals in 139 appearances for the Blues under four different Chelsea managers, including two spells with Frank Lampard in the dugout.
The most important of those was his memorable finish against Manchester City in Lisbon two years ago as the West Londoners were crowned Kings of Europe.
In an emotional open letter on his Instagram, the 37-cap Germany international bid farewell to Chelsea supporters, three years on from his £70m switch from Leverkusen.
He will bring a huge amount of extra strength to our midfield and variety to our play.
Arteta on Havertz
He wrote: “I would have preferred for you to hear my thoughts on leaving Chelsea first from myself before my thoughts on me joining my new team. This isn’t my style and it upsets me that you had to hear of it in this way.
“Today, I find myself at a crossroads, where words can’t describe the emotions I’m feeling.
“It is with a heavy heart that I write this letter, saying goodbye to the club that has become my second home, and to the incredible fans who have supported me throughout this amazing journey.
“Today I want to thank each and every Chelsea supporter, member of staff, coaches and my team-mates for the last years.
“Joining Chelsea three years ago was a big moment in my life and I’m looking back on these years with nothing but pride, gratefulness and loads of sporting success.
“Every second of my time at Chelsea I identified with what it means to represent the club on and off the pitch and I hope that everyone remembers me for this. I’m looking back at memories that last a lifetime. The club will be forever in my heart and I made friends for life.”
The Havertz transfer was confirmed soon after the Gunners agreed a deal in principle with West Ham over Rice.
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Arsenal will pay £100m up front with a further £5m in add-ons with the two clubs “very close” to securing a payment structure they are both happy with.
The Hammers captain always wanted to join Arsenal but a late surge from Manchester City threatened to see Arteta miss out on his No1 transfer target.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
