Is Timo Werner bound to leave Chelsea?
On the other side of the players’ hall of fame at Chelsea Football Club, encompassing some of the best players to have graced the European stage, lies a cluster of footballers who have had disagreements with the club’s stakeholders or struggled to live up to lofty expectations.
Every club has a set of players who fall into the category of a transfer gone wrong, or clashed with coaches and teammates alike.
When one thinks of the many players who have drawn the ire of fans in Chelsea’s history, Timo Werner’s name doesn’t tend to jump out.
“Sometimes I don’t know why they are supporting me so much, because I’m a striker and I want to score but miss chances.”
These were, indeed, the words of a then-25-year-old Werner, realistic in his assessment of his own Chelsea career. At the very least, he passed an honest judgement, falling well short of the expectations set by the fanbase, his coach and of course, himself.
What’s startling to see is that the German didn’t have the worst first season. Yes, he only recorded six goals in the Premier League. That figure was however accompanied by 12 assists.
As of October 2021, Werner had as many as 12 goals disallowed for Chelsea by VAR. Add a few of those, to a couple of big chances missed, and suddenly the narrative surrounding the striker would be quite different.
No wonder then, do the Chelsea fans adore him. Irresistible work ethic, never shy of admitting mistakes and a player who’s honest and upfront with supporters.
Last season, Werner almost played almost exactly half the minutes in the PL as in his debut season. Whilst the Blues did not refurbish their attack completely, one could argue he deserved more minutes on the pitch.
Werner loves describing his goals. He’s not afraid to criticise his performances or laugh over how many times the linesmen raise their offside flags when he finds the back of the net.
Fast forward to pre-season ahead of the 2022-23 league season, and the rangy forward didn’t hide his emotions once again when asked about his long-term future. “It is hard to say. First of all, the most important thing is that I am happy. I am happy when I play and score goals. That’s the fact. That’s what I should take care of, and the other things will come.”
“I could be happy everywhere. It is hard to say. I didn’t ask but I think of course the manager always has different ideas, different thoughts and what you need in different games, I think in many games I was not in his thoughts, so I try to change that.”
Werner isn’t overly incorrect with his judgement of Thomas Tuchel’s front line options. 21 Premier League outings, and only five Champions League appearances support that statement.
Tuchel greeted that with resolve, not believing why Werner would come out with such comments. “I’m surprised, I would be very happy as a young guy having a contract at Chelsea Football Club. I would be one of the happiest people on the planet.”
A World Cup where he’d like to play an integral part. The arrival of Raheem Sterling, who pretty much covers the left-forward and striker positions that Werner usually occupies. It’s not hard to decipher who amongst the two is being more honest.
Perhaps, it’s all about biding time with the striker. For it to not turn into an unnecessary skirmish, it could simply take a comforting arm around the shoulder of an under-fire centre-forward.
At this stage, it’s very difficult to predict how the final few weeks of the transfer window could unfold for Werner. But for a player that offers the ability to play at different paces, provides counter-attacking prowess, sharp dribbling, and chance-creation abilities, it’s more about channelling that potential, and providing him with the onfield opportunities he needs.
All of it will only make sense in the above equation if Tuchel wants him to stay. A brilliant manager, Tuchel would probably pin some faith in the Chelsea forward and make him believe he’s worthy of fighting for one of the spots in the front three.
As it stands, the plain-speaking Werner’s future is very much in flux at the moment.
-Akarshak Roy
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
Photo: Steffen Probdorf. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.