Kai Havertz injury blow forces Arsenal into transfer rethink | OneFootball

Arsenal have suffered a bitter blow with Kai Havertz having picked up a knee injury, causing a rethink of their remaining transfer plans this summer.

According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Havertz is set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering the issue and is now undergoing assessments to determine the extent of the injury. Given these are still at an early stage, the prognosis and how long he will be out for is still unclear.

The 26-year-old German missed an opening training session at the Emirates on Wednesday morning and his absence means the Gunners will now re-enter the transfer market as they actively explore their options to strengthen the attack and provide cover.

Boss Mikel Arteta wants a left winger as competition for Gabriel Martinelli, although already reportedly had to sell before the club is able to buy. The need for a striker now just adds a further wrinkle.

Havertz came off the bench on 60 minutes during Sunday’s Premier League opening 1-0 win over Manchester United to replace new signing Viktor Gyokeres, who is still getting fully up to speed with life at the Emirates.

However, the Swedish international is now the only fully fit and available striker for Arteta, with Gabriel Jesus still recovering from the ACL injury he picked up back in January and not expected to be ready for match action for some time.

Winger Leandro Trossard has previously featured as a No 9, and could be an option after recently signing a new contract, while central midfielder Mikel Merino filled in as emergency cover up front for a spell last season when Arsenal ran out of viable forwards.

Kai Havertz came off the bench against Man United (AFP via Getty Images)

That Merino stint at No 9 partly came due to a previous Havertz injury, when he tore his hamstring during a warm-weather training camp in Dubai in February. He went on to miss 18 matches before returning as a substitute for the final couple of games of the season.

The German international has scored 29 goals for the Gunners since joining from Chelsea in the summer of 2023 and his absence will put even more pressure on Gyokeres to quickly adapt to life in the Premier League and prove he can be a prolific goalscorer for a title-chasing team.

After the largely unconvincing 1-0 win over Man United, Arsenal next host newly-promoted Leeds on Saturday aiming to avoid any early-season slip-ups as they try to wrest the Premier League trophy out of Liverpool’s grasp this year.