Kai Havertz was one of Arsenal's big offseason acquisitions, leading to big expectations from the German international at the Emirates Stadium.
Arriving in North London from Chelsea on a reported £65 million transfer fee, it's fair to say that Havertz is looked upon as a key to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta's plans.
However, Havertz's start to life as a Gunner hasn't matched the hype, and the 24-year-old has come under increased pressure as the season wears on and he fails to become a central figure in Arsenal's chase for the Premier League title.
Bacary Sagna, a longtime former Arsenal defender, says it's too early to judge Havertz's impact with the club as he's still learning Arteta's system.
That didn't stop Sagna from acknowledging the criticism, though.
"Arsenal fans are demanding, Sagna told Genting Casino. "When you play, you have to play well otherwise you will be criticised. That creates even more pressure for him.
"I think it is only a matter of time before he adapts to Arteta’s demands and the demands of his teammates because he has the quality to play for Arsenal.
"I think the people that are criticising him need to be a little bit more patient and I think he needs to be backed by the fans. When you come with a big price tag, people will always talk.
"There have been a lot of pundits criticising him; a lot of articles in the media. He will be aware of that – players find out about these things.
"That is part of the game of being a player, but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt."
Sagna admits that Havertz's price tag has placed a lot of expectations on his shoulders, but preached patience as it's still relatively early in the German's Arsenal career.
"I think that Kai Havertz has had a difficult start to his Arsenal career," he said. "It’s been difficult for him because he joined the club for a lot of money and that comes with a lot of expectation.
"I think people need to forget about Kai’s price tag. He has come from a different team that played very different football.
"Kai Havertz is being asked to play a completely different style of football and in a new role. The way that Arsenal play football is very different from any other team.
"The demands are different. What Arteta needs from Havertz is different (to the role he played at Chelsea)."