Timo Werner has dropped a heavy hint that his future may lie away from Chelsea, stating he could be happy elsewhere......READ THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
The German striker, who has failed to fulfil his potential following a £47.5m move from RB Leipzig in 2020, has been linked with a transfer from Stamford Bridge during the current transfer window – and the arrival of fellow forward Raheem Sterling has done little to silence the rumours.
Werner had been discussed as part of a bid for Juventus defender Matthijs de Light and his future in west London is in doubt.
Timo Werner has dropped the biggest hint yet his future could lie away from Chelsea
However, his £270,000-a-week wages may be a stumbling block to any suitors.
The 26-year-old scored the club’s first goal post-Roman Abramovich but later said he had not held talks with manager Thomas Tuchel over where he stands.
‘It is hard to say,’ he said when asked if clear-the-air talks were needed.
‘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.’
The forward, who has struggled for large parts of his spell in west London, will need first team football ahead of the World Cup later this year
When quizzed over whether could find that happiness at Chelsea he responded sharply: ‘I could be happy everywhere.’ Big things were expected of Werner, who has 53 caps for his native Germany.
However, he scored just 10 Premier League goals in two years and played in 21 top flight fixtures last season and is unaware of why he has struggled for game time under his compatriot.
‘It is hard to say,’ he said. ‘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.’ With a mid-season World Cup on the horizon Werner, who will face competition for his place in the Germany squad, admitted he needs more minutes on the field.
Forward signings such as Raheem Sterling do not help the case of Werner to get back into Thomas Tuchel’s regular starting XI
‘It is clear I want to play more and I should play more to first be in good shape for the World Cup and also, to have a chance to play at the World Cup,’ he said. ‘I think it doesn’t change anything whether it is a winter world cup or in the summer.
I think if I play half or the season or the whole season, I should play.’ For now, however, Werner is focusing on Chelsea and the renewed competition caused by Sterling’s £47.5m arrival from City.
‘It’s not different to last season,’ he said. ‘I think it was the same when Romelu (Lukaku) came here that we have big, big competition up front. It is still the same. At a big club like Chelsea you have that competition.
‘In pre-season you can show that you want to play that you are a guy who wants to be in the starting XI. That’s what I try.’ Chelsea take on MLS outfit Charlotte on Wednesday night before ending their trip with a clash against Arsenal in Orlando on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Billy Gilmour and Armando Broja have left the tour.
Gilmour, who spent last season on loan at Norwich City, will team up with Chelsea’s Under 23s in Salt Lake. The move is likely to mean that the Scotland midfielder, 21, will again be loaned out in the forthcoming with Tuchel enjoying an embarrassment of riches in the centre of the park.
Conor Gallagher, who impressed at Crystal Palace last season, has returned to the fold and is ahead of Gilmour in the pecking order.
Billy Gilmour has departed the first team’s training squad ahead of a likely loan move away
Broja has been heavily linked with a move to West Ham, and will return to London. It is thought the 20-year-old, Slough-born Albanian striker has agreed personal terms with the Hammers, who have submitted a £30m bid.
He spent last season on loan at Southampton, for whom he scored six goals in 32 games.
‘It is never easy and I didn’t like to do it because everyone deserves to stay with the squad but we had a very big squad already and then players came additionally on top,’ said Tuchel.
‘It’s a very difficult decision because nobody deserved to go. In the end we had to take the decision to keep the quality high in training so we decided for 24 players as a maximum and that’s why we went a bit smaller.’
Broja has flown back to England from Chelsea’s pre-season tour in the USA as he continues to be linked with West Ham
