Chelsea are in the final stages of sealing a deal to sign German sensation Timo Werner from RB Leipzig who was initially thought to be heading to Anfield.
The Blues, who have had their own set of striking woes in recent years, have made a late move for the in-demand striker ahead of Liverpool and are reported to have met his release clause of £53 million by Evening Express.
Werner’s contract with the Bundesliga outfit expires on June 15th and he is expected to sign a five-year contract with the West Londoners as Liverpool are yet to take a stance.
If the deal materializes, the Blues could finally have their dream striker since the departure of Diego Costa, who had made an immediate impact in the Premier League under Portuguese coach, Jose Mourinho.
Could Chelsea set new counter-attacking standards with Timo Werner?
Since the emotional return of one of Chelsea’s all-time greats Frank Lampard as the boss, the club has found an attacking style of play which has got the fans to sing at the top of their voice.
Lampard’s faith in youngsters like Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, Billy Gilmour, and Reece James has been crucial to their new counter-attacking gameplay as they have successfully installed pace and aggression in an ageing midfield.
Though Chelsea have been decisive against weaker opponents, Lampard’s men have struggled big-time against the so-called top 6 teams due to the underperformance of Tammy Abraham in those matches. The Pensioners have often failed to kill games after scoring at the start which has snatched victory from their jaws. Olivier Giroud surprisingly has taken his chances pretty well and is now a serious threat to Abraham’s first-team hopes.
But Timo Werner’s inclusion in the squad would certainly bench both of them as he has been on a goal-scoring spree for RB Leipzig netting 25 times in 29 matches in the Bundesliga. If Werner could continue his brilliance in the Premier League, Chelsea are sure to set new counter-attacking standards for other sides around the globe to follow.
The main thing in counter-attacks are the goals at the end of the moves and looking at Werner’s form it is not hard to guess that Chelsea would get a lot more of those, with the German leading the line. With the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi, Christian Pulisic, Mason Mount and Hakim Ziyech in support, one can not only think of Chelsea to be the trendsetter in counter-attacks but also a serious threat to the Premier League title next season.
It has been clear from the start that Lampard prefers to play on the front foot and has focused more on getting his young side to play fast attractive football, even if they have to play at times without the ball. But the presence of ageing wingers in Pedro and Willian and injuries to Hudson-Odoi and Pulisic meant it was not always possible for the team to put in consistent displays.
But the inclusion of Ziyech and a settled Pulisic along with the likes of Hudson-Odoi and Mount, with Werner possibly leading the line, it is highly likely that Lampard will be more than happy ahead of next season and believe he has managed to solve the puzzle in the attacking segment of his squad.
