Transfer news: Werner to Chelsea gathers speed

Leipzig, Timo Werner (Photo by ALEXANDER HASSENSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Leipzig, Timo Werner (Photo by ALEXANDER HASSENSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

In the last 24 hours, reports from Germany and England indicate that Timo Werner – the German hotshot forward – could be on his way to Stamford Bridge as soon as next week.

The Blues’ pursuit of the Leipzig forward comes as a complete surprise – especially as Werner had been tipped to join champions-elect, Liverpool, for well over a month now.

Though, if reports from the highly respected German paper BILD are to be believed, Chelsea are willing to activate Werner’s release clause at Leipzig, a fee in the range of 50-60 million euros. The player himself, according to sources, is only too happy to make the move from continental Europe to the Premier League.

Werner has been at RB Leipzig since 2016 when he moved from hometown team Stuttgart to the newly promoted, Red Bull-owned club. Since then, he has scored an impressive 92 goals in 154 appearances in all competitions, in addition to 11 goals for the German national team.

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As the spearhead of an exciting Leipzig side, he has torched the Bundesliga and European competition. Now approaching his prime, he may see this as the perfect opportunity to join a top-6 club, in arguably the best league in world football.

Getting Werner makes Chelsea a Title Threat

If this purchase goes through, the implications for Chelsea, and indeed the EPL, are enormous. Werner is rated as one of the best players in Germany, and is one of Europe’s premier marksmen.

The transfer would instantly elevate Chelsea into title contention. The Blues have struggled to adequately replace Diego Costa’s presence upfront, and haven’t had such dynamism in attack since Eden Hazard left; Werner would tick both boxes.

While not much of a physical presence, the German is a world-class poacher, playing off the shoulder of defenders by using his deadly pace and ruthless finishing accuracy. Werner, allied with recent purchase Hakim Ziyech, and talents like Christian Pulisic, Callum Hudson-Odoi and others, would completely transform Chelsea’s attack.

His age, too, is a big positive for the Blues. Werner is only 24, and yet has been at, or near, the top of the Bundesliga scoring charts for a few years; all indications are that he could do the same in England for years to come.

If Chelsea can continue developing their young homegrown core alongside such promising additions as Werner, they will be setting themselves up for consistent success for years to come.