Chelsea seal £53m signing of Werner
LONDON — Chelsea have announced the £53 million deal for RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner.
Frank Lampard has been desperate to bolster his attacking options and has landed one of the finest strikers in Europe in Werner.
The German international, who has two games left to play with RB Leipzig, has signed a five-year deal worth £175 000-a-week.
RB Leipzig marked Werner’s departure with a One Step Beyond poster which is a nod to the Madness song which has become a hit with Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge in recent years
Speaking after the club announced a deal had been struck, Werner reflected on the pride of sealing a switch to the Premier League.
Werner (24) 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 teammates, my new manager and of course the Chelsea fans. Together we have a very successful future ahead of us.”
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.”
Werner will join the club on July 1 having elected not to see through RB
Leipzig’s Champions League campaign when Europe’s premier club competition picks up again in August.
He got the only goal when Leipzig came to north London to play Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham in the last round.
Werner will face Borussia Dortmund tomorrow before finishing the Bundesliga season and his time with Leipzig away to Augsburg.
He leaves Leipzig after four successful years with the club and he departs as the Bundesliga side's all-time leading goal scorer.
In 157 games, Werner produced 93 goals and added 40 assists to hand him the number one ranking in the club’s history.
Lampard’s squad is taking impressive shape before the transfer window has even opened, with Hakim Ziyech having already sealed a move from Ajax in a £37m deal.
The Blues are also keen on £75m-rated Bayer Leverkusen winger Kai Havertz and Leicester left-back Ben Chilwell.
— Daily Mail