Arsenal can pair Declan Rice with ‘the next Ballack’ if Arteta makes bold call

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta could select a rogue option next to Declan Rice next season, with the Gunners closing in on a big-money deal for the West Ham midfielder. Once dubbed the next Michael Ballack, Kai Havertz has become better known for his exploits up top over the past few years, but reverting back to old habits may even be the most sensible choice.

Havertz was announced as an Arsenal player on Wednesday after completing a £65million switch from local rivals Chelsea. The German’s unveiling came on the same day an agreement in principle was reached for Rice, with Manchester City and Manchester United poised to miss out.

While many expect the two recruits to boost Arsenal in two different areas of the pitch – with Rice a holding midfielder and Havertz frequently playing as a central striker for Chelsea – the prospect of playing alongside one another cannot be ruled out completely.

It was only at the end of the 2019/20 season that Havertz began to play through the middle. Before then, the Bayer Leverkusen youth product had found joy playing as a forward-thinking central midfielder.

With a 17-goal Bundesliga campaign under his belt as a teenager, Havertz was once dubbed the successor to the great Ballack, who was similarly prolific in front of goal during his first spell with the German side.

After trying out a range of different positions at Stamford Bridge, it was eventually decided that Havertz was most effective as a striker. But an underwhelming return of 32 goals in 139 matches for the Blues hardly did his reputation any favours.

Stepping into the role that Granit Xhaka filled last season, where he had license to roam forward and netted seven Premier League goals – the same amount as Havertz – seems tailor-made for the 6ft 4in star.

All things considered, pairing a player previously compared to Ballack with an accomplished star like Rice, to make up two-thirds of Arsenal’s midfield trio, could prove to be a worthy experiment that makes Arsenal a force to be reckoned with.