Despite Arsenal running Manchester City close for the Premier League title, up until the final few weeks that is, Mikel Arteta will be determined to use this failure to secure silverware as motivation ahead of next season.

With Champions League football soon to be gracing the Emirates pitch for the first time since the 2016/2017 season, Arteta will be looking at improving the quality of his squad during the summer transfer window, with players required in defence, midfield, and attack if they wish to challenge domestically and in Europe.

The Gunners have recently shown interest in Chelsea forward Kai Havertz, as he looks set to depart Stamford Bridge this summer according to Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian.

The German international will cost a pretty penny however, with a fee of around £75m required to complete any potential move during the transfer window and Arteta may have to move on a few players in order to balance the books to make a move possible.

One such player that could potentially make way is Eddie Nketiah, as Havertz could certainly be an upgrade on the Arsenal striker.

Could Kai Havertz replace Eddie Nketiah at Arsenal?

The Englishman scored just nine goals across 39 matches for the Gunners last term, with four coming in the Premier League and he ranked eighth for goals and assists, seventh for shots on target per game and second for big chances missed, indicating he wasn’t at his best in front of goal throughout the league campaign.

Former Gunners icon Ian Wright criticised the striker for being “very poor” during their third round FA Cup loss to Nottingham Forest in January 2022 and the £100k-per-week dud simply cannot be relied upon to score 15–20 goals a season.

Havertz on the other hand, despite a poor individual season for the forward, still scored more league goals than Nketiah, netting seven to his four, while he ranked second out of the whole Chelsea squad for goals and assists and shots on target per game, although he did rank first for big chances missed, suggesting that his composure could be worked on.

Aged just 23, the former Bayer Leverkusen whiz has still yet to reach his prime and this could be a huge bonus for Arteta, as he looks to build a squad of core players who have experience yet aren’t approaching their 30s and Havertz fits the bill.

Graham Potter dubbed him “incredibly talented” and he could go on to fulfil his attacking potential at the Emirates, especially with an attack-minded coach such as Arteta, as he has been shackled this season at Chelsea.

The fee could be a stumbling block, however, if the Stamford Bridge side bring the price down, this could surely tempt the Spaniard into a move.