Arsenal’s new signing Kai Havertz may not have set the stadium on fire with his football skills — he played as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea scoring 19 goals in 91 appearances in three seasons — but his height has become a talking point all of a sudden.
The 24-year-old’s height has been disputed on various threads and platforms with some saying that he is at least 6’ 4” (193 cm) while others pegging it down to 6’ 2” (188 cm).
Why the sudden interest?
It is natural for a new signing to be the stuff of speculation; their abilities, potential, personal life, physique, etc. — nothing is spared. The former Bayer Leverkusen talent is going through the hoops with Arsenal.
What do different sources say?
A simple return on the search engine Google for ‘Kai Havertz height’ lists it as 1.90 m, putting him at a hair under 6’ 3”. On the other hand, the Wikipedia entry under his name lists his height as being 1.93 m (6’ 4”). Confused yet?
Pictures definitely show him to be tall but it is difficult to gauge from them alone. French footballer William Saliba, who also plays for Arsenal, is either the same height as Havertz or slightly taller than him, depending on which picture you are looking at.
Does it matter?
Yes, it does. Height is usually an advantage for an athlete. However, in Havertz’s case, it has been an impediment to his movement. Obviously, he can take due advantage of it in penalty corners and free kicks but if he is encumbered by his height while moving into the ’box, then it is a curse rather than a blessing.
Moreover, Havertz is not exactly known for his heading ability. With his height, he should have been known for it. Of course, his under-the-radar performance with Chelsea meant that nobody took him too seriously.
With a new club comes renewed interest though. And that is exactly what is behind all the speculation. There are new possibilities in the fray. Arsenal already have a troop of tall players in the mix and Havertz is another addition to it.
Some, however, claim that Havertz is behind only star names such as Haaland, Mitrovic and Kane when it comes to aerial abilities. There is also criticism aimed at his former club Chelsea who tried to use Havertz as a centre forward thus mis-profiling him.
His abilities are obviously going to be up for subjective discussion and his height might remain a topic for debate but moving on, let us hope that the Gunners and Havertz will have a successful season.
