Arsenal face Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday night as transfer speculation mounts and Mikel Arteta discusses Max Dowman’s future
Arsenal are gearing up for their crucial Champions League clash against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday evening.
The Gunners have already shifted their focus back to European action following their extension of their advantage at the Premier League summit. Mikel Arteta’s squad are poised to welcome Leverkusen for the second leg of their round of 16 encounter. Kai Havertz will be battling to maintain his position and feature against his former club, having netted Arsenal’s dramatic leveller from the penalty spot in the opening leg.
The Germany international has demonstrated his worth for the Gunners when available this season and he remains highly regarded by Leverkusen, who transferred him to Chelsea in 2020. Havertz failed to find the net against Everton at the weekend, though teenage sensation Max Dowman emerged to secure Arsenal a vital triumph. The 16-year-old became the Premier League’s youngest-ever scorer and boss Arteta has faced questions regarding his intentions for the young midfielder. Here’s all the latest Arsenal news.
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Kai Havertz green light for transfer
Bayer Leverkusen managing director Simon Rolfes has made it apparent that Havertz would be welcomed back at the club, reports the Mirror.
The striker emerged as a teenager at Leverkusen, featuring 150 times before being transferred for approximately £72million to Chelsea. After winning the Champions League at Stamford Bridge, he later joined the Gunners for £65m.
“I’m generally sceptical about bringing former players back. But with Kai [Havertz] and Florian Wirtz, I would make an exception,” Rolfes stated on Sport1 programme Doppelpass.
Discussing the 26-year-old forward, Rolfes added: “He spent 10 years in our youth system. We maintain close contact with Kai and if the situation arises, we would need to have a conversation.
“At the moment, however, he is in a different phase of his career and feels very comfortable at Arsenal. He left the club to reach the top of world football.”
Mikel Arteta discusses Max Dowman plan
Dowman etched his name into the history books with his goal against Everton.
The Arsenal youngster’s performance garnered significant attention and he could be set for more game time as the Gunners vie on four fronts.
The 16-year-old made his Champions League debut coming off the bench against Slavia Prague in November. However, Arteta urged for restraint following his latest standout performance.
When quizzed if Dowman could start the team’s next league match, the Arsenal manager replied: “Let’s come down to earth today and enjoy the moment, because it was intense and it was worth it and we will see tomorrow.”