Real Madrid were in need of reinforcements up top this summer following the departure of Karim Benzema. The club did sign Joselu on a season-long loan deal from Espanyol but most people did not feel that that was enough. There were other forwards the club were linked with as well but another signing did not end up materialising.
One player Real Madrid had been linked with for a long time is Kai Havertz. He is believed to have been on their radar since he was at Bayer Leverkusen.
After three underwhelming seasons at Chelsea, despite winning the Champions League, Havertz was on the move this summer. For a while, it had looked like Real Madrid were the favourites to sign him but he ultimately ended up at Arsenal instead.
It is believed to have taken Arsenal a €70 million transfer fee to sign Havertz from Chelsea. And after seeing his recent performances, Real Madrid must be happy that they missed out.
Real Madrid must be happy they failed to sign Arsenal player
Havertz is yet to register a goal or an assist for Arsenal this season. And a lot of their fans are already starting to become impatient with the German international.
Under normal circumstances, one would call for the player to be given more time to settle down. Unfortunately for Havertz, this is his fourth season in the Premier League and he has never really shown what he is capable of except in spurts.
The situation of Havertz is one of the most confusing in world football. Technically, he is brilliant. He is excellent in the air as well. He has the ability to hold on to the ball and while he might not have an incredible range of passing, he is neat and tidy with the ball at his feet. Yet, he has never really been able to put it all together since leaving Bayer Leverkusen.
There are a lot of people who feel that the Premier League style does not suit Havertz and he should have left for a different league in the summer. Perhaps a move to Real Madrid would have served him well and helped unlock all that potential that he showed at Bayer Leverkusen.