Declan Rice sends emotional on-pitch message to Kai Havertz from Arsenal tour
Declan Rice has sent an emotional two-word message to Kai Havertz amid uncertainty around his future at Arsenal after Viktor Gyokeres’ arrival at the club.
Havertz’ spell at Arsenal has been a mixed bag since he joined the club from Chelsea for £65million [The Athletic] in the summer of 2023.
The German international mostly impressed in his debut season at the club, with 13 goals and seven assists in 37 league appearances, but there has always been a feeling that the Gunners need to upgrade on him to challenge for trophies on all fronts.
He struggled to make his mark at the start of last season, and former scout Mick Brown told Football Insider in January that Arsenal were looking to sign a Havertz replacement, with a feeling that a more natural goalscorer would help to bridge the gap to becoming a title-winning side.
Havertz suffered a season-ending injury in February, which reinforced Mikel Arteta’s desire to sign a new striker, and the club have delivered this summer with Sporting CP hotshot Gyokeres joining Arsenal for £64m amid serious competition for his signature, meaning the German’s future at the club is now in doubt.
Havertz shares Arsenal pre-season update
BBC’s senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel reported in early July that Arsenal will look to sell one of their more established first-team players inside the next 12 months, and there are understood to be “several clubs in Germany” keeping a close eye on Havertz’s situation heading into next summer.
He could make an exit even earlier than planned with Gyokeres now confirmed as the Gunners’ new striker, but Havertz still seems to be in good spirits during Arsenal’s pre-season tour of Asia.
The 26-year-old took to Instagram on Wednesday (30 July) to share an update of his time on tour, with a picture of him and Gunners teammate Rice smiling together alongside the caption: “Hong Kong” with a pin emoji.
That prompted the England international to respond to his close friend’s post in a heartfelt manner, saying: “my brother man” with a red heart emoji – a clear indication that he wants Havertz to stick around at the Emirates Stadium for another season.
Havertz could force an Arsenal exit after Gyokeres’ arrival
Football Insider verdict
While Havertz has not particularly shone in his two years at Arsenal so far, it is clear from his time in the Premier League with the Gunners and Chelsea that he has talent, it is just finding the right way to unlock it on a consistent basis that has been a struggle for Arteta and previous managers.
He is 26-years-old now and will want to play regularly at the top level to seal his place as a starter for Germany at next year’s World Cup, but whether he will get the chance to do so in North London is unclear, and unlikely.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 87 | 29 | 13 |
Gyokeres has taken the coveted number 14 shirt and arrived as one of the world’s most in-form strikers, so he is going to be Arteta’s go-to man at centre-forward.
With that said, Havertz will surely not settle for the odd start in cup games, given his age and desire to play, and so there is a very real possibility that he forces an exit out of the club soon, especially if Gabriel Jesus stays put, amid rumours that he could also depart this summer.