Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta has told Kai Havertz he is still an important player for the team, even after the arrival of new striker Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting CP.
Gyökeres joined the Gunners last month for £64 million and scored his first goal in Saturday’s 3-0 pre-season win over Athletic Bilbao. He headed in a cross from Martin Zubimendi to open the scoring, before Bukayo Saka made it 2-0. Havertz came off the bench to score the third goal late in the game.
Last season, Havertz played as Arsenal’s main striker, but now faces tough competition from Gyökeres, who scored an amazing 97 goals in 102 games during his time in Portugal.
Arteta says both players can play together or in different positions. “They can play together or Kai can play in other roles,” Arteta explained. “This gives us more options and makes the team stronger.”
The Arsenal boss is happy with the form of both players and sees their rivalry as a “good problem” for the team. “I’m very pleased with what I saw. Some players gave big performances against a Champions League team. It’s a great feeling,” he added.
