It looks like Timo Werner will be heading to Chelsea this summer.
Hands up who saw that coming?
After a seemingly endless courtship between the German forward and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, the Timo Werner transfer saga has taken a twist in the tale that not many were expecting.
But as much as a move to Merseyside seemed inevitable, questions had been asked of the strikers fit in the Liverpool side. This is a team which already has three world-class forwards, and Werner is too good to be a backup. Did Liverpool even want him in the first place? It’s all conjecture for now, not until Jurgen Klopp releases his autobiography will we know for sure.
But the fact that Werner had many world-class clubs chasing after him means there will always be intense scrutiny into if Chelsea is the right club for him. And right now I will happily add to that scrutiny, as I analyse how he fits into Chelsea’s side, and if a transfer to Stamford Bridge is the right move for his career.
At Chelsea, Werner will have to contend with another young and prolific striker. Here’s a question. Am I the only one that really rates Tammy Abraham? Like really rate him? Yes, he has been a tad inconsistent in his debut season for Chelsea and maybe needs two chances to score one goal, but those are all things that improve with age, and at 22 years old he has plenty of time to grow.
However, the introduction of Timo Werner to the mix risks stunting that growth, as the two players play the same position. I hope for Abraham ‘s sake that this signing is an indication that Chelsea plans to play Werner out wide, because if it’s a battle between these two for the same spot, then it’s likely the big money signing will win out against the academy kid, especially at a club like Chelsea.
But let’s say Werner is placed out wide. Yes, he’s tactically flexible and intelligent enough to play well in there, but is it his best position? At 24 he’s still considered young, but maybe not quite malleable enough to completely change the position that best suits him. Let’s not forget the young talent out wide for the West London club, such as Pulisic and Hudson Odoi.
Are these players not seen as the long term answer for Chelsea? Or will it be Abraham who loses his place to the German striker? Although Werner suits the direction Chelsea are headed in as a young and dynamic team, this move brings more questions than it does answers and it seems inevitable that one of their young promising stars will be kicked to the curb.
To me this doesn’t make sense, you could argue that Chelsea are prioritising the short term over the long term, but Werner isn’t exactly the finished article. Yes, Werner is more polished than most of Chelsea’s attacking youngsters, but he’s still only 24 years old.
It doesn’t seem like a case of sacrificing the long term for the short term, rather the long term for the slightly less long term. Werner to Chelsea can be a success, but the situation will be delicate and it’s a matter of Frank Lampard managing the situation correctly.
This article was written exclusively for golear.co.uk