TURBO CHARGED
German star Werner clocked 11.1secs for 100m and Lampard will be banking on his new £53m striker to get Blues back in the Prem fast lane
NO wonder Chelsea fans are starting to get excited again.
At Stamford Bridge, over the past decade, it has been feast or famine, with either transition and acrimony or title and European success.
The shrewd £53million acquisition from RB Leipzig of Timo Werner, nicknamed ‘Turbo’ because of his blistering speed, suggests it could well be another of those good years in the blue section of west London. The deal is all but done, with Liverpool standing aside, and Chelsea transfer supremo Marina Granovskaia bringing her skilful negotiating acumen to bear.
She may well have been inspired by an interview Werner gave in March when, with Manchester United rivalling Liverpool’s interest, the 24-year-old spoke of the dilemma facing him.
“At this time in professional soccer there are two different variations,” he said. “The first is to be part of a team like Liverpool or Manchester City. They have a good working team. The teams have great coaches.
“But this is the question: do you want to go to that kind of team, because the situation is already that hard for each member and you want to be a part of it? That’s one point you have to look at.
“The other side are teams which need some big changes, because they just won a few big titles, but they are not able to compete on the highest level any more. So, at
this point of my career, I’m asking myself: do I want to be part of a new team, to build up something new, or do I want to stay at my team and make something great?”
He has chosen to build up something new and, with Ajax schemer Hakim Ziyech arriving on July 1, he will give Frank Lampard an intoxicating new dimension to his strike force.
Chelsea are no strangers to German talent having accommodated Andre Schurrle, nurtured Robert Huth and welcomed the highly-decorated
Michael Ballack.
Werner could go down as one of the best. The striker is no Fernando Torres. Despite his outstanding numbers at Leipzig, this particular penalty-box player will arrive entering his prime.
That ‘Turbo’ nickname comes with Werner clocked at 11.1 secs for the 100m. With Callum Hudson-odoi and Christian Pulisic (above) among boss Lampard’s attacking options, opposition defenders could end up needing roller-skates.
In a 4-3-3, Werner could easily play as a wide forward, as he did for Leipzig under Julian
Nagelsmann.
But he could also operate more centrally alongside a central striker like Tammy Abraham. Werner has partnered Yussuf Poulsen in attack for his current club.
Should Lampard opt for a 4-23-1 formation, Werner could play wide left with Abraham up front, Mason Mount behind him and Hakim Ziyech on the right.
Abraham, having liked an Instagram post of Werner mocked up in a Chelsea shirt (top left), clearly has no fears about his arrival. In fact, the Blues’ academy graduates appear up for the challenge of high-class competition.
Should, as expected, the club secure Champions League football for next term, they will also be in pole position to land Leicester and England left-back Ben Chilwell. Defence is another big priority, with the Blues far too porous this season.
But it is up front that Chelsea are strengthening. After an uncertain 12 months, the defending Europa League champions are aiming for the Premier League summit again. They are hoping Werner will be the man to shoot them there.