Chelsea
have agreed a deal in principle to sign Timo Werner from RB Leipzig.
The Germany international striker has a €55m (£49.4m) release clause which
expires on Monday June 15.
Chelsea have offered a £200,000-a-week contract to Werner, who also
interested Liverpool and Manchester United.
He had publicly indicated his preference to move to Premier League leaders
Liverpool but they were unwilling to pay the release clause in the current
climate.
That allowed Chelsea to move in for their number one forward target, and the
24-year-old is happy to play for Frank Lampard's side. His priority has
always been to sign for a Champions League club where he can play regularly.
Werner will join Hakim Ziyech, who is joining from Ajax for £33m on July 1,
as new additions at Stamford Bridge this summer following their transfer ban
being lifted by FIFA in December last year.
Chelsea were unable to sign players last year and opted not to bring in any
acquisitions in January, instead focusing on their main targets this summer.
The club are also interested in bringing in a new left-back, with
Leicester's Ben Chilwell their number one target.
Analysis: No surprise Werner in such high
demand
Sky Sports' Nick Wright...
"Werner's name has long been linked with Liverpool, but they were not the
only Premier League club said to be monitoring him.
"It is hardly surprising that he is a player in demand. Over the course of
the last four years with RB Leipzig, the 24-year-old has established himself
as one of the most exciting young players in the Bundesliga.
"This season has been his best yet, with 31 goals scored in 40 games so far,
taking his overall total for RB Leipzig to 92 in 154 appearances. For the
German national side, he boasts a total of 11 goals in 29 games.
"His RB Leipzig tally for this season includes four goals in the Champions
League, one of which came during Leipzig's 1-0 win at the Tottenham Hotspur
Stadium in February.
"The majority of Werner's goals have come from the central striking position
this season, but he is tactically flexible - RB Leipzig have used nine
different formations in the Bundesliga this season - and he is also
comfortable playing in wide positions, particularly when cutting inside from
the left.
"Another factor in Werner's favour is his age. The forward has already
amassed closed to 300 senior appearances since making his professional debut
for Stuttgart in 2013, but he only turned 24 last month."
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