Kai Havertz sends Viktor Gyokeres message as £64m Arsenal transfer takes fresh twist

Kai Havertz scored for Arsenal during their pre-season win against Watford on Saturday. Mikel Arteta's side went up against the Hornets in a behind-closed-doors friendly at London Colney and ran out 2-0 winners.

Ben White netted the other as the Gunners continued their preparations for the new campaign. While the end result doesn't matter too much in pre-season, getting into the habit of winning football matches can be important heading into competitive fixtures.

The same can be said for attackers and mastering their goalscoring touch. It's safe to say Havertz has made a fine start to that and is putting himself in the best position to get the nod up front for Arsenal's opening Premier League game against Manchester United next month.

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Much has been said about Arsenal's search for a No.9 and Viktor Gyokeres, in particular, but Havertz's goal record has gone under the radar. Before he suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in February, the German international netted 15 goals in 36 matches across all competitions.

There is an argument to suggest that Havertz would have at least reached 20, if not 25, should he have stayed fit for the remainder of the season. In fact, if he would have continued at the same rate for the 18 games he missed, he would have scored eight more, having rounded 7.5 up to the nearest whole number.

If Gyokeres netted 23 in his opening season, most Arsenal supporters would surely be pleased with that. So, it isn't wild to predict that Havertz could be in Arteta's XI to face United on Sunday, August 17.

That is even despite the proposed arrival of Gyokeres, with Arsenal still calm and optimistic in their pursuit of the Sweden international this summer, football.london understands. Negotiations with Sporting CP are at the final stages, with this week's discussions taking place to agree on the structure of the add-ons.

The Portuguese club are standing firm on several details despite claims of the clubs being just £2.2million apart, these are believed to be wide of the mark. The fee agreed in principle is £55m, with £8.7m in add-ons. What is being finalised is the structure of the deal, particularly how the add-ons are achieved.

Reports have suggested that United could be prepared to attempt to hijack the move, but Gyokeres has made it clear that he wants to sign for Arsenal. The former Coventry City front man is determined to get his move to the Emirates Stadium and has not turned up for pre-season at Sporting.

But even if Gyokeres arrives, Havertz won't make it simple for him to be a nailed on, automatic starter. And the German's strike against Watford on Saturday has sent a clear message to the Swede that he is here to fight for the spot. Havertz won't be letting Gyokeres take the first-choice striker spot easily, that's for sure.

Havertz, who returned from injury to make two substitute appearances at the end of the 2024/25 season, will be hoping to make a further impact on Arsenal's pre-season tour in Asia. The Gunners take on AC Milan in Singapore on Wednesday before facing Newcastle United four days later.

They then fly to Hong Kong for a north London derby against Tottenham on Thursday, July 31 before heading back to England to finalise their pre-season campaign. Matches against Villarreal and Athletic Club follow at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, August 6 and Saturday, August 9.