EPL transfer target Timo Werner edges closer to Chelsea move
by Ashish Thomas- Timo Werner urged to move to EPL club Chelsea by Owen Hargreaves
- Havertz move to EPL on, with Barkley to be sold to fund deal
Former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves thinks that should Timo Werner leave Red Bull Leipzig this summer, he should prioritize a move to Chelsea rather than Liverpool in the EPL. The former Champions League-winning midfielder feels that though he has been in sensational form following a hat-trick in a 5-0 battering of Mainz on Sunday, the striker would struggle to displace players from Liverpool's EPL first team. The ex-Bayern Munich man said this while commentating on BT Sport:
“Well, he's not going to get past Bobby Firmino, who is one of my favourite players to watch. Chelsea could be a good fit, I just think he's perfect for Liverpool in a way, but he's not guaranteed to start.”
Timo Werner: EPL-bound?
The German striker is in the midst of a career-best season thus far, having scored 24 goals and laid on 7 assists. He's one among 3 players in the Bundesliga to have 30+ goals and assists for the season, with Jadon Sancho and Robert Lewandowski the other players to do so. The RB Leipzig talisman has enjoyed himself this season under coach Julian Nagelsmann. The Wunderkind manager has brought out the best in Werner, having him play across the front three with no set position and he has thrived, to say the least.
The striker has been touted to be interested in a move to Liverpool in the EPL, with contact rumoured to be initiated between the EPL champions-to-be and the player's representatives. The current Premier League leaders have been suitors for him since the start of this season and will be looking to sew up the deal as soon as possible.
Havertz to Chelsea with Barkley out the exit door
EPL target, Kai Havertz, has been on the transfer radar of some of the best clubs in the world at the moment. The Leverkusen superstar has come back from the lockdown in blistering form. He's scored 4 goals in his two appearances since the restart, being the catalyst for Leverkusen's wins so far and propelling the club to the brink of Champions League qualification.
The 20-year-old has been great in 2020 so far, having contributed to 10 goals and 7 assists in 15 games. This kind of output has put him on the radar of EPL club, Chelsea, who are crying for inspiration in the final third. This signing would further underscore the good scouting work done by the Premier League club and would be an interesting proposition in how he dovetails with fellow new signing, Hakim Ziyech.
But, the signing of Havertz would signal the end of Ross Barkley's tenure at Stamford Bridge. Ross Barkley has flattered to deceive, since his move from Everton in the January transfer window of 2018. The England attacking midfielder has sparkled in fits and bursts but, has not been decisive enough to warrant a spot at a top 6 EPL team.
He's been mooted for a move to the North-East at newly cash-rich Newcastle United, after rumours of Rafa Benitez returning to the club emerged on Sunday. This deal would likely help Chelsea fund the transfer package for Havertz to be prised from the German club.
Published 25 May 2020, 17:44 IST