"He wasn't the answer" - Pundit believes Mikel Arteta has 'cost Arsenal' the PL title by signing 24-year-old star in the summer

Former Aston Villa star Gabriel Agbonlahor has slammed Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta for signing Kai Havertz last summer. The pundit believes the German attacker was the wrong buy and a decision the Spanish manager will come to regret.

The Gunners secured Havertz's services from Chelsea in the 2023 summer transfer window for £65 million. The 24-year-old forward displayed some good form in December, scoring against Brentford, Luton Town and RC Lens in the Champions League.

However, he has had an overall underwhelming campaign, recording just five goals and one assist in 30 appearances across competitions for Arsenal.

Speaking about the former Chelsea forward, Agbonlahor told talkSPORT:

“I think the biggest thing Arsenal fans are annoyed with and what Arteta will regret is spending a lot of his transfer budget on Havertz. He wasn’t the answer. They could have £65m available now towards getting a striker like Ivan Toney. It’s going to cost them."

The former Aston Villa star insists that Fabio Vieira and Emile Smith Rowe can offer more than Havertz on the pitch. He added:

“They’ve got [Fabio] Vieira, they’ve got [Emile] Smith Rowe who are probably better than Havertz in the same position. So for me, Arteta has cost Arsenal the title by spending money very stupidly, I’d say.”

Arsenal will face Nottingham Forest in the Premier League next at the City Ground on 31 January.

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"Sometimes you need a kick up the bum" - Pundit tells Mikel Arteta to give Arsenal star 'a reality check' amid dip in form

Pundit Anton Ferdinand has urged Mikel Arteta to drop Bukayo Saka from the starting XI. He believes the England international needs motivation to improve his performance after a recent dip in form.

Saka has scored nine goals and provided 12 assists in 28 appearances for Arsenal this season across competitions. The English winger tops the charts in each regard this campaign.

However, Saka has been struggling to find goals lately, having netted just once in his last seven games in the English top tier. Ferdinand offered a solution to the young attacker's recent woes and said (via TBR Football):

“In terms of Saka, sometimes as footballers, and I’ve been there, sometimes you need a kick up the bum. But whether you have one or not, he’s in a rut right now. Sometimes it might be ‘come out, because you’re not good enough right now."

He added:

“It gives him a reality check. I need to up my game again. Because he’s still young by the way. He’s young, so young players need that. As long as it’s done to them in the right way and they’re dealt with properly after it, they need that. I think Saka is in need of that right now.”

The Gunners are third in the Premier League table at the moment, five points behind league leaders Liverpool. They are level on points with second-placed Manchester City, but the Cityzens have a game in hand.