Timo
Werner is set to join Chelsea this summer but Sky Sports News reporter Kaveh
Solhekol examines why a much-touted move to Liverpool collapsed amid the
coronavirus pandemic.
Looking back, March 22, 2017, was a significant day in football history.
Germany beat England 1-0 in a friendly in Dortmund. Lukas Podolski scored
the winner in his 130th and final appearance for his country, Gareth
Southgate lost his first game as England manager and Timo Werner played for
Germany for the first time.
Werner was relatively unknown in England but everyone in Germany knew he had
a big future ahead of him. He stood out as a special talent from his
earliest days at VfB Stuttgart, where his speed, technical ability and
finishing soon earned him call-ups to Germany's youth teams. When he was 16
he scored 43 times in a season for Stuttgart's youth sides before he started
his first senior game in September 2013. Even though he was just 17 he set
up two goals in a 6-2 victory over Hoffenheim.
Although Werner was a Stuttgart fan who was born within walking distance of
the Mercedes-Benz Arena, he moved to RB Leipzig in a €10m deal in the summer
of 2016. In his first season at Leipzig, he scored 21 times in a side which
finished second in the Bundesliga and qualified for the Champions League for
the first time.
He scored 40 goals in the following two seasons and last summer was close to
joining Bayern Munich in a €30m deal. Not everyone at Bayern was convinced
they should buy him, however, and, when they backed out of the transfer,
Werner signed a new four-year contract at Leipzig with a €55m (£49.4m)
release clause which runs out on June 15.
Werner's call with Klopp
It has been an open secret that Liverpool wanted to sign him this summer and
Werner did not hide his admiration for Jurgen Klopp and his European
champions.
According to reports in Germany, Werner spoke to Klopp on the phone earlier
this year. He wanted to move to Liverpool but had reservations about whether
he would play regularly considering Liverpool's front three of Sadio Mane,
Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino is arguably the best in the world.
Klopp could not offer him any assurances but both men knew that Werner had
the talent, ability and attitude to be a success at Anfield.
A move to Liverpool was on the cards until the coronavirus pandemic. The
loss of matchday and broadcasting income, as well as the drop in value of
commercial deals and the cancellation of lucrative pre-season tour games
meant Liverpool were not in a position to spend almost £50m on a player who
would not necessarily be a guaranteed starter in their first team.
Maybe Liverpool believed they could afford to play the long game. Wait until
the €55m release clause runs out and see if they could negotiate a better
deal.
It would have been a risky strategy because there were plenty of other clubs
who wanted Werner, especially when he just carried on scoring when the
Bundesliga restarted last month. He has scored 31 goals and counting this
season to take his total to 92 in four seasons at Leipzig.
His goalscoring record and his ability to play anywhere across the front
three and in an attacking midfield role mean Werner has been used to clubs
trying to sign him ever since he made a name for himself in Stuttgart's
youth teams.
Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and Barcelona knew all about
him before he had even played a senior game and, more recently, it has not
just been Liverpool and Chelsea who have wanted him. Manchester United,
Bayern Munich, Juventus, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan have all
held talks about signing him.
Why Werner is joining Chelsea
So, why Chelsea then? Well, the pandemic has meant that clubs have been
drastically cutting their transfer budgets but Chelsea are owned by the
Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and £49m looks like a fair price for a
prolific 24-year-old forward who is still young enough to have a high resale
value when he leaves Stamford Bridge.
The negotiations with Leipzig are being handled by Chelsea director Marina
Granovskaia and the two clubs did business last summer when the promising
young midfielder Ethan Ampadu moved from Stamford Bridge to Leipzig on loan.
Frank Lampard also has more money to spend than some of his rivals because
while clubs such as Real Madrid and Barcelona were spending fortunes last
summer, Chelsea were serving a transfer ban.
According to Statsbomb data, Werner's attributes are strikingly similar to
PSG forward Kylian Mbappe
With Pedro and Willian set to leave when their contracts run out at the end
of the season, Lampard has known for a long time that he needed to sign new
wide players for the next campaign.
The dynamic and exciting Hakim Ziyech is arriving from Ajax in a £34m deal
next month, which means Chelsea's first-choice front three next season is
likely to be Werner, Tammy Abraham and Ziyech - unless Lampard buys another
centre forward as well as the new left-back he wants.
When considering where he was going to move to this summer Werner made it
clear he wanted to play in the Champions League. Chelsea will restart the
Premier League season in fourth place, three points ahead of Manchester
United. Fifth place may be enough for Champions League qualification this
season if Manchester City lose their appeal against their European ban.
Chelsea have offered Werner a £200,000-a-week five-year contract. Now they
have to make sure that they are offering him Champions League football as
well.
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