Former Arsenal player William Gallas has had some harsh words for the Gunners’ £65 million summer signing, Kai Havertz, in a recent interview.

He praised Martin Odegaard for his selflessness in allowing the German international to take a penalty against Bournemouth at the weekend – but nevertheless, Gallas also said that he does not believe that Havertz will ‘have a good season’.

He notes that this is not all Havertz’ fault, though. He believes that it will take time for him to adjust to Arsenal’s style of play, as it is ‘completely different’ to what he was used to at Chelsea.

What did William Gallas say about Kai Havertz?

Speaking to Gambling Zone, Gallas said: “I thought that was a good decision. That was the decision of a gentleman. Martin Odegaard is a gentleman. That shows you how concerned Odegaard is about his teammates and the relationship that he has with them.

“He knows that it has been a difficult start to Havertz’ Arsenal career. Havertz didn’t score any goals in his matches so far. It was the perfect thing for a captain to do in that situation.

“The problem that Havertz has had, he joined from Chelsea, so some of the fans, not all of them, but some of them will need to be convinced by him.

“Don’t forget, they paid a lot of money for him and before his penalty, he did absolutely nothing for Arsenal so far. After almost two months he did nothing. He scored his penalty, but without that, he hasn’t done anything. The fans expect more from him.

“I think he is still adapting to the way that Arsenal play and his role in the team. The football is completely different [to what he was used to at Chelsea]. He has to work really hard, but I’m not convinced by Havertz. I don’t think he will have a good season.”

Can Kai Havertz turn his fortunes around at Arsenal?

When discussing Havertz, it is easy to forget that he is still just 24 years of age – he still has plenty of developing to do, especially in his new midfield role.

It’s true – he has been disappointing so far this season, with just a single goal (which was a penalty) and zero assists to his name in ten games.

However, with time, there is no reason why he cannot be a success at Arsenal. Arteta needs to find a way to unlock the potential he showed early on in his career – it is still there, but can it be harnessed?