Arsenal attacker Kai Havertz has admitted finding it tough joining the club from London rivals Chelsea, suggesting he is yet to earn the “trust” of the fans.
Havertz joined the Gunners in a £65m transfer in June after struggling to justify his £71m move to Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen three years earlier.
Since moving across the capital, Havertz is still to rediscover the form that once made him among the most promising young talents in Europe, with Mikel Arteta trying to repurpose the German international as a midfielder in more recent weeks.
Despite his struggles, Havertz has insisted he is glad to be at Arsenal.
“From outside, Arsenal always looked like a family,” he told the club’s official website. “That’s the feeling I got when playing. And when I joined, that was exactly what it was like, and the staff are really nice too – and that makes life easier for a new player.
“From the first minute that I spoke to Mikel [Arteta] about joining Arsenal, I had this feeling that he respects all of us very much, so that was also a big part of me joining the club. I just felt the togetherness of the club from the players and especially within the fans and the whole club.
“It’s very important to feel trust from the fans. It’s always tough when you come from Chelsea, because they are big rivals, so it can take weeks to get some trust from the fans. But goals and good games can help me to get it and I will always give 100 per cent in the games and training sessions. I think they will recognise this as well, which is very important. I’m really happy to be here.”
What we know
- Kai Havertz swapped Chelsea for Arsenal during the summer
- Gunners agreed £65m transfer fee for German international
- Havertz admits he is yet to fully earn the trust of his new team’s fans.