EURO 2024 Player to Watch: Germany’s master craftsman 🇩🇪 | OneFootball

EURO 2024 is almost upon us and some of the continent’s greatest players will soon be taking to the field in Germany and competing for European international football’s biggest prize.

Many PUMA athletes will be strutting their stuff at the tournament, and in this three-part series we are profiling the ones to watch.

Today we have…

Name: Kai Havertz

Boots: PUMA FUTURE 7

Age: 25

Nationality: German

International caps: 46

Clubs played for: Bayer Leverkusen, Chelsea, Arsenal

Career highlights

Playing style and evolution

The first star to emerge from Leverkusen’s current golden generation, Havertz’s proficiency as a No.10 earned him a move to Chelsea in 2020.

But despite scoring a first-ever Champions League goal to settle the following season’s final against Manchester City, the club’s second-most expensive signing never really found his true calling.

A high turnover in west London saw his role change several times, from an unsuited winger role to a two-pronged attacking midfield role. For Germany, too, he was pigeonholed as Julian Nagelsmann deployed him in a bizarre left-back experiment.

Last summer’s switch across the English capital to Arsenal, however, proved a game-changer for both the playmaker and his new club. Occupying the central berth of a front three, Havertz doubled his Premier League assist tally in a single season while also producing a best-ever return of 13 goals, including two against his former club, as Mikel Arteta’s side went agonisingly close to the title.

Best goal so far

His first of two goals against former club Chelsea as Arsenal ran riot in April’s 5-0 drubbing. After receiving a sublime pass from Martin Ødegaard, Havertz held off Marc Cucurella before blasting the ball into the roof of Đorđe Petrović’s net.

What can we expect from him at EURO 2024?

Competing on home soil will either galvanise or overwhelm Germany, and Havertz is pivotal to both scenarios.

Now occupying the fulcrum of their attack, the Arsenal man’s adeptness with both feet has the potential to extend his impressive club form when backed up by a stellar supporting cast that includes fellow Leverkusen alum Florian Wirtz.

The pair both scored in March’s friendly win over fellow favourites France and their borderline telepathic connection could be Die Mannschaft’s greatest strength.