Journalist thinks Arsenal made a mistake by not beating Spurs to one signing – Spurs Web – Tottenham Hotspur Football New
thinks Arsenal made a mistake by not beating Spurs to one signing – Spurs Web – Tottenham Hotspur Football New
Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that Arsenal made an error by signing Kai Havertz over James Maddison this summer, adding that the Tottenham man could make the Gunners rue their mistake in the North London derby.
Some eyebrows were raised when Arsenal paid £65m to sign Havertz from Chelsea, given his struggles at Stamford Bridge.
Things have not gone according to plan for the 24-year-old since his switch to the Emirates, with the German international being left out of the Gunners starting eleven against Everton on Sunday.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 16: James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur controls the ball during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 16, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
In stark contrast, Maddison has hit the ground running at Spurs, having been voted the Premier League Player of the Month for August.
The £40m that Tottenham paid for the attacking midfielder looks like a huge bargain, with many pundits already naming the 26-year-old as the signing of the summer transfer window (Sky Sports).
Did Arsenal make a big James Maddison mistake?
Brown has now suggested that Mikel Arteta’s men will be left ruing their misstep if Maddison could help Spurs come away with a result from the Emirates.
The journalist told GiveMeSport: “Arsenal thought they got a very smart deal out of Havertz and they couldn’t believe really, they had the opportunity to sign who they saw as well, Chelsea’s best player.
“You look at it now and obviously, in hindsight, you would rather have James Maddison in your team, than Havertz. I’m not sure how realistic Maddison was, but obviously, he was on the transfer market and he was available at a very reasonable fee.
“So you look at it in broad daylight, and you think Arsenal could have got him. They’ve now made a mistake really by not getting him and allowing him to go to their north London rivals.
“I mean, we’ll see but if Maddison ends up being the difference between these two sides when they meet at the weekend, then there will be some regrets I think around Arsenal that they didn’t push harder to get that deal done. But as I say at the time, they really felt that Havertz was a great signing.”
I was as surprised as most people when Arsenal paid the fee that they did for Havertz and there is no doubt that Maddison is the superior footballer out of the two.
However, in Arteta’s defence, he already had Martin Odegaard at his disposal, which is why he did not want a number ten of Maddison’s profile.
