Fantasy Premier League

FPL signings: How new role can help Havertz thrive

29 Jun 2023

The Scout says German could be more productive at Arsenal playing as a No 10

The signing of Kai Havertz adds to Arsenal's attacking options in 2023/24 Fantasy Premier League.

The 24-year-old arrives on the back of 19 goals and seven assists in the Premier League during his three seasons at Chelsea.

He offers the Gunners a versatile option in attack, similar to their January signing Leandro Trossard.

A new role at Arsenal?

Although he mainly featured as a forward at Chelsea, Havertz could be set for a new role under Mikel Arteta.

Speaking to the club's official website, the Arsenal boss suggested that he sees the German primarily in midfield.

"He will bring a huge amount of extra strength to our midfield and variety to our play," Arteta said.

He may be deployed alongside Martin Odegaard in attacking midfield behind a front three in a 4-1-2-3 formation.

📲 Incoming message from @KaiHavertz29 pic.twitter.com/be2S7MwMAS
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) June 28, 2023

That could help him return to his very best form in the campaign ahead.

Havertz thrived while playing as a “No 10” for Bayer Leverkusen, scoring 46 goals and producing 31 assists across all competitions in the four seasons prior to joining Chelsea.

His arrival, nonetheless, only adds to a growing list of Arsenal options for Fantasy managers to consider.

Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli all placed among the five top-scoring midfielders – and seven top-scoring players overall – last season.

Trossard also made a huge impact after joining from Brighton & Hove Albion. Indeed, his total of 10 assists from Gameweek 21 onwards was more than any other player in Fantasy.

See: How Havertz will add new dimension to Arsenal's attack

Up front, meanwhile, Gabriel Jesus averaged 114 minutes per goal/assist in his debut season, quicker than any of Arsenal’s regular starters in midfield.

Ultimately, Havertz’s underwhelming output at Chelsea suggests managers in Fantasy should be happy to show patience in their early squads.

If he can recapture his Leverkusen form under Arteta, though, Havertz could rival his fellow Arsenal attackers for output in 2023/24 Fantasy.

Download: Complete FDR for 2023/24 (PDF, 220kb)