Joe Cole has criticised Chelsea’s decision to sell Kai Havertz to Arsenal after the Germany international scored in the Gunners’ 2-1 victory over his former club on Sunday, September 6.
Havertz restored parity at the Emirates Stadium after Morgan Rogers had given Chelsea an early lead, before Martin Odegaard completed Arsenal’s comeback. The result handed Havertz another significant moment against the club he left in 2023.
Cole, who spent seven years at Chelsea, said the club should have recognised Havertz’s potential while he was still at Stamford Bridge and questioned the decision-making behind his departure.
“I think if you’ve got Kai Havertz at your club you’re watching him every day, week in, week out,” Cole said on Premier League Productions, in comments reported by the Daily Mirror.
He added: “It’s just not good enough; I think it’s got to stop happening. It happened with Kevin De Bruyne [leaving]; it happened with Kai Havertz.”
Joe Cole questions Chelsea’s decision to sell Kai Havertz
Cole also contrasted Chelsea’s dealings with the approaches taken by Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsenal during Arsene Wenger’s tenure, arguing that those clubs were less likely to allow a promising player to join a direct rival and develop into a top-level performer.
“When did you hear of them letting go of a player who went on to become world class at one of your rivals?” he asked.
Chelsea’s likely defence is that Havertz’s sale formed part of a wider restructuring of the squad and wage bill. The club had embarked on a major rebuild, while the forward’s reported salary made his departure easier to justify financially despite his continued importance on the pitch.
Arsenal paid a reported £65 million to sign Havertz in June 2023. Since then, the 27-year-old has repeatedly made an impact against Chelsea, with Sunday’s equaliser providing another reminder of the decision that continues to frustrate Cole.
