Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Timo Werner from Red Bull Leipzig and the latest news emerging about the Germany international should be one that gets the Blues ramping up their interest in the forward.
A release clause of €55m (£49m) is said to be expiring on 15 June, which in today’s money, appears to be a relatively small amount to pay for a player of the 24-year-old’s ability.
With a number of clubs said to be keen on securing his services, it would be a surprise if anyone had let that release clause expire, especially as Leipzig would be in a position to ask literally whatever they want for him if interested suitors still remain.
Therefore, Chelsea should be looking to make the most of the situation and looking to snap up the striker they have arguably been looking for ever since Diego Costa left Stamford Bridge.
That’s not to say that Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud have not been good enough, however the German would simply add another option to Frank Lampard’s attacking arsenal and he would have a player who knows how to find the back of the net on a prolific basis and keep Chelsea live in the hunt for silverware.
The break in the Bundesliga because of the current global pandemic does not appear to have caused Werner any problems regarding his shooting boots, with the 24-year-old having banged in four goals in his last four games – albeit with a hat-trick in his second match against Mainz.
However, those figures are hardly surprising, as the forward has been in fine form for Leipzig throughout the season, with 31 goals and nine assists in his 40 matches for the club across all competitions.
When comparing Abraham and Giroud, those figures are extraordinary as the aforementioned duo have combined for 15 goals and two assists in the Premier League.
With Werner being only slightly older than Abraham, the England international could perhaps learn from a player of the German’s quality and further develop his own game, therefore allowing the Blues to have a front-two that defences in England’s top-flight, as well as clubs in European competition, are fearful of playing against.
It is not every day that a player of the German’s ability is available at a rather bargain transfer fee of just under £50m and it is very unlikely to see another player as prolific as him be available for that sort of fee in the near future.
What’s more, is that Chelsea should have plenty of money still left in the transfer budget this summer as they were unable to spend last summer and in January, whilst they also managed to top up the coffers with a handsome sum of money that could exceed £150m.
The only problem that the Blues could face is the alleged desire Werner has to join Premier League rivals Liverpool, but with the Reds unwilling to pay the release clause and with the prospect of being able to achieve his aims of playing in England’s top-tier and Champions League football consistently, Chelsea could be a viable option for him as well.
