No international match in 2025
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Kai Havertz is about to make his Arsenal comeback after a long injury break. “He was already pretty close and it’s just a matter of days,” said coach Mikel Arteta before the Premier League home game against Brighton & Hove Albion. The 26-year-old Havertz had surgery on his right knee at the end of August and has since missed 26 games for his club. His last appearance so far was on the first matchday against Manchester United (1-0).
According to Arteta, Havertz was already an option for last Tuesday’s League Cup game against city rivals Crystal Palace (9:8 nE) after returning to team training the week before. “Let’s see how he reacts to the next step, but he is a player we missed a lot and who brings a new dimension to the team. I will be very happy to have him back soon.”
Havertz was Arsenal’s top scorer – also important for DFB
During Havertz’s injury break, new signing Viktor Gyökere was the number one center forward. The Gunners signed the Swede from Sporting Lisbon for 65.8 million euros – with seven goals in all competitions, he is the top scorer in a balanced Arsenal attack. Havertz was the top scorer in the Premier League and Champions League leaders last season with 15 goals.
National coach Julian Nagelsmann should also be happy about Havertz’s imminent return. This year, the offensive player, who scored 20 goals in 55 appearances for Germany, missed all international matches after various injuries. The Arsenal professional, who last played for the DFB team in November 2024, could be an important option for Nagelsmann for the 2026 World Cup.
In 2025, the DFB star rose from Nick Woltemade, who scored four times in eight appearances and caused a stir in the summer with his 75 million transfer from VfB Stuttgart to Newcastle United. With this transfer proceeds, Woltemade ranks 7th in a comparison of the German footballers for whom the most money flowed – Havertz is the undisputed number one with transfer fees of 175 million euros.
When looking at the most valuable German center forwards, Woltemade has a market value of 70 million euros, ahead of Havertz with 55 million euros. Twelve months ago, the Gunner was valued at 75 million euros and the former Bremen homegrown product at 7.5 million euros.