How Arsenal can replace Kai Havertz

Arsenal’s attack could also look very different when the first kick of the new Premier League season kicks off.

They are the English champions but if there was one problem in 2025/26 it was their ability to score goals regularly.

It has to be said that only Manchester City held more than Mikel Arteta’s side in the top flight last season, but they worked over the line in many games or were made to rely on set-pieces.

The Gunners had plenty of low blocks but still, none that changed the game. That’s why players like Bradley Barcola and Vinicius Junior have been targeted this summer. That’s why Morgan Rogers was a keystone.

Wide positions are a problem, but even after years of trying to improve this issue, they still lack that elite mid-front. Kai Havertz hasn’t been bad in Arsenal colors but he remains something of a marmite figure.

Arsenal’s Kai Havertz problem

When Arsenal announced the signing of Havertz in the summer of 2023, Arteta publicly admitted that he was coming as a midfielder.

“Kai is a top player. He is versatile and a smart player. He will bring more strength to our midfield and more versatility to our play,” the manager noted at the time.

However, he has not yet played a prominent role in that capacity. Instead, Havertz has always been seen as a center fielder and has been very active.

In midfield, he has scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 49 games. As a forward, he has 24 goals and 13 assists in 59 outings.

When playing at the back, the Gunners seem to lack fluidity. If it plays high, that’s why they have a lot of water in the last third.

There is reason for Arteta to trust him in the big moments. In the last campaign, the manager chose him over Viktor Gyokeres in the League Cup final against Manchester City, in the Champions League final, and against City in the league in the dying weeks of the season.

Havertz scored in that European game in Budapest but in those two games against Pep Guardiola’s side, it showed why he is a problem.

The German will never be as good as Erling Haaland but he is very wasteful in front of goal. During the cup final at Wembley, he failed to stick to one at James Trafford. When the league game between these two teams was about to wrap up, he was given a wonderful chance after a few meters but he shot over the post.

Therein lies the problem. Although the ex-Chelsea man has been combining well with his team-mates, he will not lead to glory in front of goal.

How Arsenal can replace Havertz long-term

On paper, Havertz and Gyokeres are two solid options. Finally, they have a quick and aggressive striker who can run in behind. In the first period, they have a different profile, someone who will come a little bit and get involved in the construction.

What the Gunners need is someone who can do a bit of both. That’s not easy to come by, of course, but if they’re going to go to the next level under Arteta, they need a top-class striker.

Julian Alvarez continues to be linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium, as does Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi. Ben Jacobs reports this week that amid interest from the likes of Barcelona, ​​Manchester City and Arsenal, the Cherries have slapped a £111m price tag on his head.

For a 20-year-old, that’s an astronomical price but there’s a reason why. He is not only a great striker but also one of the most exciting young players in European football right now.

In 2025/26, aged 19, he scored 13 goals. No youngster has scored more in his first Premier League campaign than the Frenchman. His life in England was surprising, especially when you consider that he was playing in the second division of French football at Lorient in 2024/25.

Kroupi’s rise has been remarkable. Daniel Sturridge praises him as “one of the best finishers in the Premier League” and there is a belief that he will be one of the best strikers in the world before long. Compared to Havertz, he also measures up well in other key metrics.

Like Gyokeres, Kroupi is a completely different profile from Havertz. He is ineffective in air duels even if he is very good in those situations.

That said, most importantly for the striker, he is very clinical in front of goal, scoring non-penalty goals per 90 minutes despite having the same number of shots.

Havertz could have looked better if he was built, he created more opportunities for his teammates by playing more openly, but that does not mean that Kroupi is not a striker who played well.

He is certainly faster than the German and is more powerful in his actions, completing more dribbles in 90. His style of play has earned comparisons with Kylian Mbappe which tells you all you need to know.

At 20, Kroupi is still very young and raw but he will get better. He scored one goal less than Gyokeres in the league last season despite being eight years younger; that is very impressive.

A move will not happen this summer after the striker picked up a foot injury that has kept him out for three to four months, but Arsenal’s interest will undoubtedly extend to the upcoming transfer windows.