Arsenal hit the jackpot on “superb” star

Things might be going wrong for Arsenal at the moment, but the future is still bright.

Mikel Arteta and Co have built a team jam-packed with incredible talent, be that from the academy, underappreciated gems or big-money signings.

For example, Bukayo Saka, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly look set to star in the first team for years to come, while the likes of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães have become world-class defenders.

Even Martin Odegaard, who’s having a down year, and Declan Rice, who stands as the club’s record signing, have more to give in the coming years, and one of Arteta’s most controversial signings is worth millions more than both midfielders.

The valuations of Rice and Odegaard

There is no escaping from the fact that this season has been disappointing for Odegaard.

So far, the club captain has only been able to score three goals and provide six assists in 2208 minutes of action across 28 appearances, which comes out to an underwhelming average of a goal involvement every 3.11 games, or every 245.33 minutes.

Moreover, in some of the must-win games against sides the Gunners really should be beating, like Everton, West Ham United and Fulham, the 26-year-old has just not stepped up.

However, with that said, he’s got an impressive track record in North London, as shown by his successive Player of the Year awards, so it is understandable that the CIES Football Observatory continues to value him at around €88.6m, which converts to about £73m.

Rice, on the other hand, is valued at a whopping €108.3m, which converts to about £90m, and while that is less than the £105m he cost the club a year and a half ago, it’s still an enormous sum of money for a central midfielder, although more than justified.

The former West Ham captain might have taken some time to get up to speed this term and struggled last weekend, but he has generally been one of the North Londoners’ better players in recent months.

The Englishman has managed to adapt to the left-eight role rather well, and, on top of his ball-winning ability, has been a useful ball-progressor for the side, mostly from his ability to maraud up the pitch, which has led to his teammates nicknaming him ‘the horse’ – make of that what you will.

However, another of Arteta’s big signings is now worth even more than the midfielder, and substantially so.

The Arteta signing worth millions more than Odegaard and Rice

While the likes of Saka and Saliba are just as, if not more important, to the team, neither one was signed by Arteta.

Kai Havertz, on the other hand, was for around £65m in June 2023, and while he’s a player who generates mixed opinions, he’s one that the CIES Football Observatory value at a staggering €130m, which converts to a cool £108m.

Not only is that a massive £43m increase on the fee paid by the Gunners, but it’s also £35m more than Odegaard’s valuation and £18m more than Rice’s.

That is a number that is sure to generate some strong opinions from some, but there may be a few reasons as to why it’s so high, starting with the fact that, for all the flak he gets for missing chances, the German has a pretty good record when starting down the middle.

For example, while he ended last season with 14 goals and seven assists in 51 games, he scored eight goals and provided all seven assists in just 18 games as a central striker.

Moreover, before his hamstring injury, the “superb” attacker, as dubbed by Arteta, scored 15 goals and provided five assists in just 34 appearances, which works out to a goal involvement every 1.7 games and leaves him the team’s top-scorer.

Finally, there are factors off the pitch, such as the fact he’s still just 25 and has a contract with the club that is set to run until the summer of 2028.

Ultimately, Havertz will continue to be a striker who divides opinion, but his record is better than most people give him credit for, and there is still time for him to improve further.