30 September 2023 , 10:50
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Frank Leboeuf has taken aim at Kai Havertz as he suggested his most effective position at Arsenal is "on the bench" as he struggles to adapt to life at the Emirates.
The German made the move across London in the summer, swapping blue for red as he left Chelsea following three inconsistent years. Arsenal spent £65million to land the man who scored the winning goal in the 2021 Champions League final, but that was a rare moment to remember for the playmaker at Stamford Bridge.
Since moving to England there has been fierce debate over what his best position is with Mikel Arteta looking to use Havertz in a midfield role, filling in for the departed Granit Xhaka. He has struggled to make an impact, failing to register a goal or an assist, with Leboeuf joking that, on current form, he's best used off the pitch.
He told ESPNFC : "Maybe right now on the bench (is his best position) because he doesn’t disturb the others. We talked about it in pre-season when we knew he signed. His positioning is going to affect the rest of the midfielders, they are unbalanced because of him and Odegaard playing in almost the same line.
"What made Arsenal strong last season, Odegaard was on his own trying to create the game and the others were working for him. Maybe playing on the left but when you have Trossard and Martinelli I don’t see any room for him. I think from Arteta it was a mistake to hire Havertz, I don’t find any good position for him."
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Whilst Arsenal's other midfield recruit, Declan Rice, has slotted straight in, Havertz has been unable to have the same impact. Martin Odegaard is the club captain and playmaker, meaning that position is very much closed off.
Kai Havertz has struggled to make an impact early in his Arsenal career (Getty Images)Nevertheless, Arteta has been keen to defend his new signing, adamant that it is up to him to get the best from the German, who he believes has been excelling in several areas of his game.
He said: "(I will be) Trying to help him as much as possible, be next to him, give him the tools, give him the confidence and give him the minutes to exploit his talent. There are so many parts of his game that he’s doing exceptionally well and we know the ones that need to keep improving.
"As always with any players, give him support, especially when you see a player who does what he does every single day, the way he trains, the way he applies himself. Give him support, give him the tools and if he doesn’t perform it’s up to us."