Indonesia
Nigeria
Saudi Arabia
South Africa

Deeney names six best PL strikers with Kai Havertz left out for specific reason

talksport.com, 22 November 2024, 11:52
Kai Havertz may have transformed himself at Arsenal - but he's not on the level of his Premier League rivals.

That's the view of Watford icon Troy Deeney, who has omitted the Arsenal star when naming his top six strikers in the Premier League.

Having swapped Chelsea for Arsenal last summer for £65million, Havertz struggled when deployed in a central midfield role, before dazzling when chosen to lead the line by Mikel Arteta from January.

He finished last season with 13 top-flight goals - five more than the most he managed in a single campaign during his three years at Stamford Bridge.

And with seven strikes already this term, the versatile German is halfway from matching his total tally from last season.

However, he hasn't convinced talkSPORT pundit Deeney that he is an out-and-out centre-forward, with the 25-year-old notably omitted from his list.

READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS

Troy Deeney gives instant response when asked to name most underrated teammate

Troy Deeney: Kylian Mbappe's bad habit infuriates me and Madrid made a massive mistake

Giving his reasoning as to why he is not including him in his list, Deeney simply told talkSPORT.com: "I don't class Havertz as a striker, sorry."

Unsurprisingly, Deeney, who has copped stick for claiming Mohamed Salah is not world class, opted to name Manchester City marksman Erling Haaland as the best in the division.

The Norway international is on course to become the first player since Thierry Henry in 2006 to win three consecutive Premier League Golden Boot awards.

Haaland is already on 12 goals from his opening 11 matches, and shows no signs of slowing down.

Most read in Football

Man City suffer defeat in key Premier League vote but three clubs backed them

Gary Lineker clarifies Match of the Day replacement with brutal reply to Micah Richards

'Maybe the four defeats were the reason' - Guardiola pens new contract with champions

'He's romantic' - Coleen Rooney stuns campmate as she reveals cute Wayne Rooney gesture

Commenting on the ex-Borussia Dortmund talisman, Deeney said: "Erling Haaland is number one, that's obvious, he's head and shoulders above everyone."

Deeney then proceeded to name the five best strikers after Haaland, opting to include a benchwarmer over Havertz - here's who he named.

Nicolas Jackson - Chelsea

"I'm not sure whether he can stay onside, I know everyone's going to say, 'Oh he's changed.'

"But the style of play has changed, he's offside loads, he doesn't score a lot of his chances.

"But when he scores, he scores in bunches."

Darwin Nunez - Liverpool

"Darwin Nunez is the same [as Jackson], he's offside a lot.

"He's great for the team, every chance you expect him to score, he misses.

"And the harder ones he scores, it's like you're just trying to get him to slow down.

"But he's an unbelievable player."

Jhon Duran - Aston Villa

"John Duran just scores every f****** 20 minutes, he's a joke.

"But he's got a lot to learn and he's been very short-term at the moment.

"What happens in your first year is you get away with it, second, third and fourth year, people start planning to stop you.

"He's getting that luxury right now."

Troy Deeney claims Mo Salah is not world class, but blames Liverpool for not sorting out his future at the club

Ollie Watkins - Aston Villa

"Ollie obviously had a really good season last year, he's struggled at the start of this year.

"I would like him to see him be a bit more consistent.

"What do you look for in a striker? I look for chances created vs chances scored.

"You're obviously going to miss more than you score, it's just the nature of the beast.

"But I don't feel confident when he goes through one-v-one."

Alexander Isak - Newcastle

"He's a finisher. I wouldn't be surprised if Chelsea get him.

Read More on talkSPORT

I scored a hat-trick on full Arsenal debut despite partying until 6am at boozy FHM bash

'Bigger than the Super Bowl' - Paul's girlfriend posts tribute as $18m gate smashes record

"But they've spent a lot of money on everyone basically.

"So I don't know if they would go again, but Isak is a proper finisher."

Top News

31 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid will kick off 2025 with a trip to Mestalla for Friday's La Liga meeting with relegation-threatened Valencia. 31 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap has responded to rumours linking him with a move to Chelsea after the Tractor Boys' famous 2-0 win over the Blues in the Premier League. 31 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona have seen a third attempt to register Dani Olmo rejected by La Liga, increasing their risk of losing the Spaniard for nothing next month. 31 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah has reportedly reached an agreement in principle over a new contract with the Reds, but there is still one more hoop to jump through before a renewal can be sealed. 31 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fulham are reportedly one of three Premier League clubs that made contact over a potential move for Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli. 31 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona have reportedly earmarked Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey - due to become a free agent next summer - as a possible replacement for Frenkie de Jong. 31 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk St Johnstone will hope to bounce back from defeat when they host Hibernian on Thursday at McDiarmid Park in their 21st Scottish Premiership match of the 2024-25 season. 31 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United midfielder Casemiro has reportedly agreed to leave the club in the January transfer window. 31 December 2024 talksport.com Bournemouth will have at least one new addition to their squad by the end of January. 31 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have reportedly turned down an opening approach from Real Madrid for defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, thereby 'killing off' any hopes of a mid-season deal. 31 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal and Brentford should serve up a feast of goals in their Premier League New Year's Day contest at the Gtech Community Stadium, Gunners expert Charles Watts believes. 31 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Barcelona centre-back Andreas Christensen but will face a battle to sign him ahead of Juventus. 31 December 2024 talksport.com Liverpool have rejected an approach from Real Madrid to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold in January, talkSPORT understands. 31 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The first Premier League game of 2025 promises to be a fascinating affair, as London rivals Brentford and Arsenal collide at the Gtech Community Stadium on New Year's Day. 31 December 2024 talksport.com Mark Robins is set to be named the new manager of Stoke City, talkSPORT understands. 31 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Brentford will look to extend a 17-year New Year's Day unbeaten run when they welcome Arsenal to the Gtech Community Stadium on Wednesday. 31 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk A fixture that seemingly guarantees a glut of goals, Brentford and Arsenal have the honour of cutting the 2025 Premier League ribbon with their London derby at the Gtech Community Stadium on New Year's Day. 31 December 2024 talksport.com Cristiano Ronaldo has enjoyed a memorable 2024 on the pitch, and he has hinted at even more joy away from it. 31 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Inter Milan's interest in Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has reportedly cooled, and the Italian champions will not sign the defender for free at the the end of the season. 31 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool forward Federico Chiesa is rumoured to be unhappy on Merseyside and could seek an exit back to Italy due to being homesick. 31 December 2024 talksport.com On the final day of 2024, Harry Kane can celebrate what was another excellent year of goalscoring success. 31 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has denied the suggestion that he tried to make a point by leaving Marcus Rashford on the bench for Monday's 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United. 31 December 2024 talksport.com Tim Sherwood has raised plenty of eyebrows with his Premier League Team of the Season so far. 31 December 2024 talksport.com Jarrod Bowen has suffered a fractured foot in what could be a serious blow to West Ham and manager Julen Lopetegui. 31 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have a better chance of winning their first-ever Champions League title than they do of pipping runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool to the English top-flight crown, Gunners expert Charles Watts believes. 31 December 2024 talksport.com Torino are interested in signing Chelsea midfielder Cesare Casadei, talkSPORT understands. 31 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal transfer target Alexander Isak is reportedly prepared to stay at Newcastle United if the club secure Champions League football for next season. 31 December 2024 talksport.com Arsenal were 2024's most dominant force, even if they don't have anything to show for it. 31 December 2024 talksport.com Plymouth Argyle fans face an awkward start to 2025 in the wake of Wayne Rooney's departure from the club. 31 December 2024 talksport.com Suspended Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran risks further punishment following a charge from the Football Association.