Few eyebrows are raised when a player crosses the Chelsea-Arsenal divide these days - see Willian, Petr Cech, David Luiz and Jorginho - who have swapped Stamford Bridge for the Emirates with mixed success over the past several seasons.
While Arsenal have made a habit of poaching their London rivals' veterans, news of the Gunners eyeing up a move for 24-year-old Kai Havertz was met with bewilderment from some corners, especially with attacking acquisitions low down on Arsenal's priority list.
However, Arsenal are now believed to be on the verge of sealing a £65m deal for Havertz, having reached an agreement in principle with Chelsea, and a medical could take place within the coming days before he is unveiled in red and white.
Scepticism is rife among the more cautious Arsenal fans, but glass-half-full Gooners with full faith in Mikel Arteta's vision are intrigued to see what the Spaniard can do with a player who is yet to take the Premier League by storm in the same way he did in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen.
Havertz's ability to play in a multitude of roles could also prove priceless during the Gunners' Champions League venture, and ahead of his imminent arrival at Arsenal, Sports Mole takes a look at where he could fit into Arteta's system.
Centre-forward
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With Romelu Lukaku and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang losing their golden touch in front of goal and David Datro Fofana far from the finished article, Havertz has often been shoehorned into a central attacking role for Chelsea - a spot he occupied for the majority of the 2022-23 season.
A tally of nine goals from 47 matches - seven of which came in the Premier League - is by no means outstanding, but Havertz still finished the campaign as the Blues' top scorer in the English top flight and shared the overall accolade with fellow nine-goal man Raheem Sterling.
Seven of Havertz's nine strikes last season came when he was deployed in the number nine spot, which would have seemingly been the last position on Arsenal's wishlist after last summer's financial commitment to the signing of Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah's new deal.
Folarin Balogun's expected departure would open up a spot for a new striker, though, and lord knows Arsenal have lacked a physical presence in the box since Olivier Giroud left - Aubameyang was never renowned for his heading ability despite his 6ft 1in frame.
Addressing squad depth problems that saw their title challenge fade away last season is imperative for Arteta and Arsenal, and Havertz's off-the-ball statistics make for extremely positive reading.
Indeed, the German's 334 runs into the penalty area last season can only be bettered by Erling Braut Haaland's 349 in the Premier League, and while matching the Norwegian's goal tally is a tall order for any player, Havertz can be sure to receive plenty of gilt-edged chances on a silver plate at the Emirates.
Number 10
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While making a name for himself with Bayer Leverkusen, Havertz would often operate in the hole behind the striker - taking up the number 10 spot in 84 of his 150 games for the German giants.
The 24-year-old has not been renowned for any sort of playmaking excellence while in the Premier League, but he produced 19 assists from that position in a Leverkusen jersey, including three in one game during a 5-1 thrashing of Borussia Monchengladbach in October 2017.
Of course, Havertz will not be naive enough to think that he will waltz into the first team over captain Martin Odegaard, who has made himself an indispensable member of Arteta's setup and will likely continue as the Gunners' creator-in-chief for years to come.
However, Odegaard cannot be expected to start every single game for Arsenal, and there is a distinct lack of in-form alternatives in the number 10 role, with Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira both flattering to deceive last term.
Smith Rowe can be let off the hook given his injury woes, but the Englishman seems to favour the left-wing position when fully fit, while Vieira has also been used as a Bukayo Saka backup on the right amid concerns over his physicality.
Furthermore, with 2.71 aerials won per game over the past year, Havertz ranks in the 99th percentile versus his fellow attacking midfielders and wingers in the big five European leagues, and one would not put it past Arteta to get the best out of the imposing 24-year-old in a creative role.
Central midfield
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It is no secret that reinforcing an ageing midfield is priority number one for Edu and co, who are also working to secure the signing of West Ham United's Declan Rice for a club-record fee while simultaneously pushing a deal for Havertz over the line.
While Rice would likely arrive as a successor to Thomas Partey amid reports of an imminent Saudi Arabian switch for the Ghana man, that still begs the question as to who will fill the Granit Xhaka-sized void when the Switzerland international's transfer to Havertz's former team Leverkusen goes through.
Talented Southampton teenager Romeo Lavia has been mooted as an option, but Havertz would be better placed to take the reins from Xhaka, who was given licence to roam forward last season and directly contributed to 14 Premier League goals - seven of his own and seven assists.
Havertz's name has predominantly been printed in the final third when the Chelsea team sheets arrive, but the German did dabble in a central midfield role during his days at Leverkusen, either in a 3-4-3 or even in a 4-2-3-1 double pivot with Lars Bender alongside him.
As a result, the left 8 position could very well be Havertz's for the taking, as deals for the Chelsea man, Rice and Ajax defender Jurrien Timber would eat away at Arsenal's budget and potentially render moves for Lavia or Moises Caicedo impossible.
Compared to other strikers in the big five European leagues last season, Havertz is ranked in the 90th percentile or above for passes completed (94) and progressive passes (91), as well as blocks (91) and clearances (90).
Having shown that he is more than willing to contribute to the cause defensively as well as adding a dash of quality up top, Havertz's future at Arsenal may belong in a deeper role, but his function is anybody's guess until he glides across the Emirates turf.
Ben Knapton
