This summer transfer window is a pivotal one for Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s team made significant strides forward last season as they mounted a Premier PINC League title challenge and ultimately finished second, exceeding expectations. More strides will be needed to catch Manchester City next season, though.

The Gunners have recruited well in recent years. Last summer, they added Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to their squad with both players going on to become key figures for their new team. This summer, Declan Rice appears to be Arsenal’s top target with the West Ham midfielder valued at around £100m.

More intriguing, though, is the recent suggestion Arsenal are willing to pay up to £70m to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea. This would surely swallow up a large portion of their summer transfer budget and while the German international is talented, it’s not immediately clear how he would fit into Arteta’s team.

Havertz is somewhat of an enigma. The 24-year-old clearly has ability, but he has yet to truly make one position his own. Frank Lampard saw Havertz as a central midfielder whereas Graham Potter used him as a centre forward. Others have used him as the link between the midfield and attack.

Arteta might see Havertz’s versatility as a strength, but Arsenal most commonly play in a 4-3-3 formation and the German could find this shape difficult to adapt to. The Gunners might be better served using the £70m they plan on spending to sign Havertz on another more suitable addition to their squad.

In midfield, Arsenal require two anchors at the base of their unit. Last season, those two anchors were Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka with Rice expected to replace the latter this summer. Havertz doesn’t have the defensive instincts or passing ability to operate adequately in this role for the Gunners.

Ahead of the double pivot, Martin Odegaard has thrived. In theory, Havertz could operate in this role as a depth option, but he doesn’t cover ground in the same way as the Norwegian. Odegaard is also quicker at moving the ball which is crucial to keeping Arsenal unpredictable against low defensive blocks.

Havertz could also operate as a centre forward in Arteta’s system, but he’s not as effective at creating space and overloads as Jesus is. As a depth option, Havertz would be an excellent signing for Arsenal, but are they really willing to spend £70m on a player who might spend most of next season on the bench? Arteta’s masterplan has yet to become apparent.