Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has urged Kai Havertz to keep working hard to try and win over his new supporters, comparing the German's situation to his attempts to secure a date with his wife.
Havertz arrived at the Emirates Stadium this summer in a £65m deal from Chelsea, where he had struggled to showcase his best form. The 24-year-old has started each of Arsenal's five matches this season but has seen his poor form carry over, leaving his new supporters increasingly frustrated.
Arteta signed Havertz with a view to turning him into an attack-minded central midfielder but the results have not yet arrived, although the boss was adamant that, like his wife, Arsenal fans will warm to him eventually.
"I said to him yesterday, things are hard in the beginning," Arteta told Sky Sports. "When I met my wife, in the beginning it was hard to conquer her and I had to try and keep messaging.
"In the end, she said yes, she wanted to be together and it was beautiful. If it is a yes on the first day, it is not that great. I think the crowd was really good with him."
Asked what won his wife over, Arteta added: "Being persistent and determined!"
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To complicate Havertz's attempts to adjust to life in his new position, he will now set off to link up with the German national team, where he is used almost exclusively as a striker.
Featuring occasionally as a winger as well under Hansi Flick, it is clear that Arteta has a unique vision for Havertz as he seeks to help the 24-year-old finally live up to the superstar potential he flashed early in his career with Bayer Leverkusen.
After Germany's friendlies against Japan and France, Havertz will return to Arsenal and begin preparations for the trip to Everton on Saturday 16 September.
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This article was originally published on 90min as Mikel Arteta offers strange advice to struggling Kai Havertz.
