The German defender helped Chelsea to get the transfer of Timo Werner done. The RB Leipzig striker joined Chelsea on a five-year contract where he will be earning £170,000/week. In the current situation, a transfer fee of £47.5m for the 24-year-old looks bargain. Both share the dressing room in the German national football team and has a good relationship between them. Rudiger knows Werner since he was just 17 and the Chelsea centre-back is surprised to see his vast development till now.
The Blues were looking for a quality striker all summer. First choice Tammy Abraham is not experienced and has struggled for consistency throughout this season. He has scored 15 goals so far and for a club like Chelsea, they need a better outcome from their first-choice striker. Rudiger says Werner has everything to be successful at the West London club.
Rudiger told Sports Bild, “Chelsea asked me for an assessment. I have known Timo for a long time. I made a clear recommendation to do everything possible to get him. From the next season on he will have to deliver, otherwise, I will get trouble from the club afterwards.”
What Antonio Rudiger Said About The Chelsea Signing?
Chelsea’s playing style would suit Werner more than the likes of Bayern Munich and the clubs who dominate possession according to Rudiger. Chelsea has always been a counter-attacking side and especially against big opponents, they have been successful with it.
He added: “Although he [Werner] is not a classic penalty area striker, he has certain robustness well suited to the toughness of English football. Counter-attacking may have been more difficult for him at Bayern Munich or with a top Italian team, who are always dealing with opponents who sit very deep.”
“Even outside the group of top clubs, many teams try to play positive and attacking football against us. This will give him the space he needs and hopefully he can use it as much as he did at Leipzig.”
Timo Werner played his last game for Leipzig and scored a brace. His last touch for Leipzig was an 80th-minute winner to seal a 2-1 away victory against Augsburg. He won’t appear for Leipzig in the Champions League anymore. He was scheduled to join Chelsea on July 1. That created a bit of controversy among the supporters. His representative cleared the situation saying he was not the only one who decided that.
What Werner’s Representative Told Sport1?
“What annoys me is that Timo is now being put in a corner and portrayed as a bad sportsman who lets his team-mates down. It would have been anything but a good start for Timo at his new club if he had to return to Leipzig for the preparation and the Champions League after the break.”
“It was the joint vote of all parties involved – and not just Timo’s decision – that he should move to Chelsea on July 1, and not until mid or late August.”
He said to Sport1, “There is a lot of competition at Bayern, so you have to have a certain character. He is more of a player who lives on continuity and trust. English football is good for him. He will have good development there. I see him there more than in a team that works purely with technical football.”
“He is a player who needs space, who needs depth and who plays out his speed. Maybe that was also a thought when changing. Timo always wants to play. Maybe there are also financial aspects. For example, Chelsea said: ‘We cannot take the risk that he will start with us injured or tired’.”
