Rio Ferdinand has revealed what Arsenal players think about Kai Havertz after speaking with Declan Rice.
Havertz wasted no time getting on the scoresheet this Premier League season, scoring his first goal just 25 minutes into the match by heading in a cross from Bukayo Saka. This helped Arsenal secure a 2-0 victory over Wolves on Saturday.
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The German international initially faced criticism for his slow start in north London after his £65 million transfer from Chelsea.
However, he found his form in the latter part of last season, scoring nine goals and providing six assists in the final 14 matches as Arsenal narrowly missed out on the title, finishing just two points behind Manchester City.
Throughout the summer transfer window, Arsenal has been linked to various strikers, with many pundits suggesting that Mikel Arteta needs to bring in a new center forward to compete with City again.
Despite this, Ferdinand asserts that Havertz has the support of his teammates to lead the attack and drive Arsenal’s title aspirations this season.
“I spoke to Declan Rice the other day, and he spoke about Havertz in such glowing terms,” Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel today. “Like, ‘we don’t need a number nine, Havertz is our guy.’ The confidence he showed in Havertz… I was surprised to learn they feel this way about him.”
“He’s a versatile, roaming forward—10 goals in his last 15 games, so he finished the season strongly. I’m expecting big things, just based on that conversation with a current teammate. It’s telling when you hear from those who see him every day, who notice the little details.”
Newly appointed England coach Joleon Lescott, who was a guest on the Manchester United legend’s podcast, echoed Rice’s sentiments.
He stated, “I’m puzzled when people say Arsenal needs a number nine because if they had someone like Haaland, their style of play would change. They need Jesus to track back the way he does, and they need Havertz to be fluid. It’s easy to say you could get a number nine who scores 20 goals, but then you risk playing with 10 men—and only Man City can afford to play with 10 men.”
Former Chelsea assistant manager Jody Morris also highlighted City’s previous title victories without a recognized striker.
He added, “You can dominate games even without an out-and-out nine. If you look at the years before Haaland, City never played with a traditional number nine.”
However, Gary Lineker is one of those who believe that Havertz alone isn’t enough for Arsenal, advocating for the signing of Ivan Toney from Brentford.
Alan Shearer, a fellow BBC Match of the Day pundit, also thinks Arsenal could win the title if they brought in a proven goalscorer.
