Arsenal have signed Germany forward Kai Havertz from Chelsea on a five-year deal until 2028 for £65 million.
Neither club disclosed a fee, but British media reported that Arsenal paid Chelsea £65 million or €75 million.
He is Arsenal’s first signing of the summer, but the British press reported that the club had agreed to a transfer fee of 105 million pounds for England midfielder Declan Rice of West Ham United.
Havertz joined Chelsea in 2020 from Bayer Leverkusen. In three seasons, he made 139 appearances and scored 32 goals, including the game-winning goal against Manchester City in the 2021 UEFA Champions League final.
Arsenal finished second in the Premier League last season, while Chelsea, which was rebuilding its team, finished 12th.
“The mentality in the Arsenal squad is very high and you can feel that. That was one of the reasons why it has been so hard to play against Arsenal recently,” Havertz told the Arsenal web site.
“The aim is to win trophies and I’m going to give everything to do that.”
💬 “I’m so glad to join this amazing club – it has such a big history and I hope we can achieve lots of things.”
🎙️ Hear from @KaiHavertz29 for the first time since becoming a Gunner 👇
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) June 28, 2023
He posted a farewell message to Chelsea on social media.
He said he was writing “with a heavy heart…saying goodbye to the club that has become my second home, and to the incredible fans who have supported me throughout this amazing journey.”
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said: “Kai is a player of top quality. He has great versatility and is an intelligent player. He will bring a huge amount of extra strength to our midfield and variety to our play.”
You have probably already seen it.. But now “officially” I’m a Gunner ❤️ @Arsenal pic.twitter.com/8ywfclw13U
— Kai Havertz (@kaihavertz29) June 28, 2023
