Kai Havertz scored a Robin Van Persie-esque goal in Arsenal’s thrilling 3-1 win over Southampton to maintain their 2024/25 Premier League title charge at the weekend. The German forward has had an impressive start to the new campaign with six goals scored in 10 appearances and all his goals have come in the six home games this season.
But the 25-year-old has really been pushed above the limit so far this season. He’s completed 90 minutes in nine of 10 Arsenal games this season and also played the entirety of Germany’s first two matches in the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League. The exhaustive grind eventually caught up with Havertz, who ended up sustaining an injury in the Gunners’ recent win.
The German Football Federation (DFB) confirmed after that Southampton game that the forward will not be able to join up with the national team because he’s nursing a knee injury. They stated in an official statement: “Kai Havertz will miss the upcoming international matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Netherlands due to knee problems. National coach Julian Nagelsmann nominated Jonathan Burkardt in Havertz’s place. Get well soon, Kai! We look forward to seeing you, Jonathan!”
Havertz is reportedly going to be now assessed by Arsenal’s medical staff before it can be deciphered exactly how major or minor the injury really is. The 25-year-old forward has been really pushed above the limit this season after Arsenal couldn’t sign a new centre-forward in the summer. Gabriel Jesus is still not deemed to be clinical enough to start matches up-front by Mikel Arteta and has had his own share of injuries this season.
It’s clear that the German forward needs some competition for that Arsenal no.9 which can not only help take his performances to a higher level, but also allow him to be rested on occasions and keep him away from such injuries. Well, it looks like Arsenal might be making early moves towards the possibility of signing a new young centre-forward in 2025.
As per CaughtOffside, the Gunners have approached the representatives of Lille forward Jonathan David – who recently scored the winning goal in their 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. The interesting aspect about David is that he’s currently into the final year of his contract with the Ligue 1 club and is poised to become a free agent once his contract expires at the end of June 2025.
He is not close to signing an extension with the French club and Arsenal will have the chance to potentially agree on a pre-contract agreement with him in January if the Canadian forward doesn’t sign a new deal with Lille by then.
David has 10 goal contributions (eight goals, two assists) in 13 matches already this season and is only going to get better. However, the Gunners could face complications with this signing because multiple other clubs are interested in signing David, with Barcelona reportedly also showing an interest in him.
CaughtOffside also claims that Arsenal recently made an approach to Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic’s representatives too. They reportedly had their scouts watch in action as he scored twice in Juventus’ 3-2 win over RB Leipzig in their recent Champions League encounter. The Gunners have been linked with Vlahovic in the past as well and seem to remain interested in him after seeing the forward impress for the Bianconeri this season, having scored seven goals in nine appearances (across all competitions)
But the issue faced by Arsenal in this pursuit is that Vlahovic currently loves his role in Thiago Motta’s rejuvenated Juventus side. Juventus director Cristian Giountoli has also hinted that they’re confident of tying him down to a new contract, which can pour water all over Arsenal’s intentions to sign him.
That has caused Arsenal to look into the prospect of scouting a in-form, rising superstar from Bundesliga. CaughtOffside also claims that the Gunners have now turned their focus on Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush, who is coming off fresh at the heels of scoring a stunning brace in his side’s 3-3 draw against Bayern Munich before the international break.
The Gunners’ scouts were reportedly in attendance to watch Marmoush in action against the Bavarians and were impressed with what they saw from the Egyptian forward. The Gunners are eager to strengthen their frontline next year, but they might face stiff competition for the possible signing of Marmoush, who already has nine goals and six assists in nine appearances for Frankfurt this season.
Scouts from Liverpool and Chelsea have also recently been tracking his progress, as per CaughtOffside, and the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle United are also his admirers. It’s also stated by the outlet that the Gunners could let Marmoush leave for around £33.5 million next year and that he can be a cheaper option than than Jonathan David in terms of the wage demands too.
Arsenal are clearly diversifying their options when it comes to pursuing a new forward as Mikel Arteta wants to rope in someone who can perfectly suit his playing style. Havertz is obviously not going to be discarded in his current form, but having a prolific backup or competition can significantly strengthen the Gunners’ ability to compete for major trophies for years to come.
