Arsenal are hoping to wrap up a deal for Chelsea forward Kai Havertz “this week”, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

It has been claimed that the Gunners have made an improved bid for the German international, which is worth £60m (including add-ons) but Romano says £65m may be needed to seal the transfer:

Expectation around Kai Havertz deal is to get the agreement done this week — after the international break. ⚪️🔴 #AFC

Arsenal hope to get green light from Chelsea as five year deal is already agreed with Kai.

Indicated fee to get the deal done is around £65m. pic.twitter.com/Z9fBsCunfC

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 20, 2023

Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg suggested at the weekend that a fee of €80m (£68m) would be required to sign Havertz, and Romano is reporting that the final figure will be pretty close to that.

Arsenal are taking a gamble on Havertz

There is no hiding from the fact that the Gunners are taking a massive risk by spending so much money on the Chelsea forward.

It’s fair to say that, despite some notable highlights such as the winning goal in the 2021 Champions League final, Havertz has struggled to match expectations since moving to Stamford Bridge three years ago.

There was much fanfare when the Blues snapped him up from Bayer Leverkusen for £71m but he has struggled for consistency, and it is still not really clear what his best position is.

Arteta is backing himself to unlock Havertz’s potential

Multiple reports have indicated that Arteta is the driving force behind Arsenal’s pursuit of the German so he will take full responsibility for whether this gamble pays off.

It is believed that the Spaniard sees Havertz as more of a no.10 than a forward, and it will be interesting to see where he fits into Arsenal’s starting eleven.