TIMO WERNER HAS signed for Chelsea.
The 24-year-old agreed personal terms with the club this morning, and will remain at the German club for the rest of the Bundesliga season. He will link up with his new team-mates in July, subject to passing a medical examination.
One of the most feared strikers in Europe, Werner is renowned for his pace, movement, link-up play and finishing ability. At Leipzig he has most often been deployed in a front two, but he can also play out wide in a front three or as the central striker.
He is currently enjoying the most profitable season of his career yet, having already scored 32 goals and registered 13 assists in 43 appearances in all competitions. After finding the net again against Fortuna Dusseldorf last night, he has two games remaining this season to improve on those numbers.
Werner said: “I am delighted to be signing for Chelsea, it is a very proud moment for me to be joining this great club. I of course want to thank RB Leipzig, the club and the fans, for four fantastic years. You will forever be in my heart. I look forward to next season with my new team-mates, my new manager and of course the Chelsea fans. Together we have a very successful future ahead of us.”
The 24-year-old has been an established German international since 2017, when his three goals and two assists earned him the Golden Boot at that year’s Confederations Cup, won by Joachim Low’s side. He has been a Bundesliga regular for almost seven years now, and in November became the youngest man to play 200 times in the competition, having broken similar records for 50, 100 and 150 appearances.
Werner’s game is built on searing pace and clever moment in the final third. He likes to drift across the frontline creating space for himself and others, and his impressive assist stats – 13 this season, 10 in each of the two prior – prove there is plenty more to his game than just scoring.
However, it is goals by which a striker is judged, and his tallies since moving to Leipzig in 2016 have been impressive: he netted 21 times in his first two seasons, 19 last time out, and this campaign has reached new heights, with 32 goals to his name.
Chelsea director, Marina Granovskaia, added: “We are very excited that Timo Werner has chosen to join Chelsea. He is a player who was coveted all over Europe and it is no surprise, he has that rare mix of being young and exciting and yet established and proven. We can’t wait to have Timo on board, but until then we wish him and RB Leipzig all the best for the rest of this season.”
