Jorginho has been shocked by the ‘crazy’ criticism of ‘unbelievable’ Arsenal forward Kai Havertz.
Eyebrows were raised when Arsenal spent £65m to sign Havertz from Chelsea in the summer of 2023 and the German endured a sluggish start to his Gunners career, scoring just once in his first 19 games for the club.
He began to contribute more regularly towards the end of last season, however, and has nine goals in 19 appearances this term.
Despite this, a number of pundits have criticised Havertz’s output and suggested Arsenal need to sign a new striker if they want to win major trophies.
Just last week Mikel Arteta was urged to replace Havertz by former Arsenal star William Gallas, while legendary manager Arsene Wenger recently admitted he feared the 25-year-old would never develop into a prolific goalscorer.
But Jorginho has revealed he has personally reassured Havertz that the criticism he receives is ‘crazy’ and says he deserves more credit for what he does for the team.
‘It’s crazy because he’s just an unbelievable player,’ Jorginho said on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast. ‘At the beginning when people was hammering him, I was like, these people, what are they talking about?
‘I was like, is this really happening? I can’t believe it. I was like, oh my days. And then actually I went to Kai a few times and I was like, Kai, don’t listen, forget about it.
‘You know what you can do it. This is crazy. And how much he helps the team, the way he plays.
‘And for me, the big improvement he had since he came to Premier League is how tougher he’s getting every day. He’s getting tougher and tougher. And now he’s at this place that is unbelievable.
‘The confidence he has, the confidence that he gives to the team as well. And he’s so clever. He puts his body always in the same, in the best positions.
‘He always gives a solution and he finds solutions in situations that you don’t believe he’s going to come out of or he’s just, he’s a baller. He’s like a big one.’
Havertz got on the scoresheet in Arsenal’s emphatic 5-2 win over West Ham on Saturday, a result that leaves the Gunners second in the Premier League, nine points behind Liverpool.
The big games keep on coming for Arteta’s side, who host Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United on Wednesday night before facing Fulham in a London derby at the weekend.