Kai Havertz faces the same problem at Arsenal that he did at Chelsea, according to former Blues defender Frank Leboeuf. The France World Cup winner claims there is no place for him at the Emirates, just like there wasn’t at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal signed Havertz in a surprise deal in June for a fee worth up to £65million. The German had come under strong criticism during his time in west London but Mikel Arteta saw enough to convince him to splash out a large amount of money.

Havertz spent much of his spell at Chelsea as a false No 9. Arteta, though, has mostly used him as a left-sided No 8 in his first few months as a Gunners player.

But he has often flattered to deceive, struggling to adapt to what Arteta is asking him to do. Arteta has backed Havertz publicly but also dropped him from his starting XI for the big home matches against Tottenham and Manchester City.

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Leboeuf says Havertz’s arrival at Arsenal has disrupted the organisation of the team. He currently cannot see any position that the 24-year-old can work himself into.

Leboeuf told the Metro: “That guy’s an enigma, we don’t know where to put him. That’s the problem, his inconsistency at the top level.

“Everything was organised very well at Arsenal last season. We knew the midfielders, we knew the strikers, everything. And because of his price tag, you have to play him but that’s disorganised the team.

“You have the striker – [Eddie] Nketiah or [Gabriel] Jesus – and then you have [Bukayo] Saka, [Gabriel] Martinelli or [Leandro] Trossard on the wings. You don’t need him up front.

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“In the middle of the park, because you have [Martin] Odegaard you need two strong midfielders to get the ball back. So, you don’t need him.

“So, you have created issues and problems because you hired him. He has a talent for sure when he’s at his best. But right now, he’s more a problem than a solution.”

Lebouef admits he was pleased to see Havertz leave Chelsea and expects him to be among the substitutes on his first return to Stamford Bridge on Saturday. He added: “That’s why I say he’d be better on the bench because Arteta didn’t find any solution to put him at his best and to make sure it doesn’t affect the team.

“Right now, Havertz on the field affects the condition and the rhythm of the team. I was happy to see him leave Chelsea because he was the same problem. You have to sacrifice players to put Havertz in. That’s the problem.”

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