Kai Havertz admits Mikel Arteta released one of his favourite players ever

Arsenal forward Kai Havertz has revealed that former Gunners playmaker Mesut Ozil was one of his favorite players growing up. Havertz shared the detail during a question-and-answer session with Arsenal supporters on Reddit, where he also named Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o, Ronaldinho, and Thierry Henry as other early inspirations.

Ozil was famously frozen out and eventually released from his Arsenal contract by manager Mikel Arteta as part of a culture shift at the club. The article notes the irony of the connection, as Arteta has since helped transform Havertz into an indispensable center-forward for the team.