The Hard Tackle takes a look at three ideal Bundesliga clubs for Timo Werner as the Chelsea forward eyes a return to Germany.
Even though we are nearing the start of the new Premier League season, the European champions Chelsea have major business left to be done. After a successful end to the 2020/21 campaign, Thomas Tuchel is determined to further strengthen his team’s ranks, primarily by signing a new centre forward.
The Blues have been linked with a host of talented strikers around Europe, including Harry Kane, Alexander Isak, Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski. However, it has not gone down well with their current crop of forwards, with Olivier Giroud already joining AC Milan while Tammy Abraham is poised for a move elsewhere.
And according to the latest report from 90 min, it appears Timo Werner could become the next player to leave Stamford Bridge, with the forward apparently keen on returning to the Bundesliga.
Signed from RB Leipzig last summer, Werner had a difficult debut campaign in England, struggling to find goals and leaving the fans frustrated in the process. Aware of Chelsea’s pursuit of a new striker, the German international is now ready to return to his home nation in an attempt to revive his career.
Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will take a closer look at three ideal Bundesliga destinations for Timo Werner if the Chelsea forward ends up returning to Germany in the summer.
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund are the only Bundesliga club to have been linked with a move for Timo Werner following his move to Chelsea last summer.
The Blues were reportedly willing to include him in a player plus cash deal to sign top target Erling Haaland this summer. And while the Black and Yellows are not open to selling Haaland in the summer, the addition of a player like Werner is certainly an interesting prospect for the club.
There is no secret that new coach Marco Rose likes a versatile striker who can effortlessly drift out wide. Werner fits the bill perfectly, as the Chelsea forward can offer the clever movements that will open up opportunities for players like Marco Reus, Thorgan Hazard and most likely Donyell Malen in the final third.
Werner’s presence in the side should also help Dortmund prepare for life without Haaland next summer. The Chelsea forward may not be a direct replacement for the Norwegian, but his experience and productivity in German football makes him one of the best alternatives available in the market.
Therefore, from a sporting perspective, Timo Werner’s move to Borussia Dortmund makes a world of sense. Unfortunately, the Bundesliga giants are facing multiple economic restraints and are not expected to sign too many players, despite selling Jadon Sancho to Manchester United earlier this summer.
Bayern Munich
Borussia Dortmund’s reluctance to sign Timo Werner opens the door for Bayern Munich to pursue the highly-rated centre-forward. The Bavarians are currently experiencing a dilemma with a majority of their players asking for a significant rise in pay, including Manchester City and Liverpool target Kingsley Coman.
However, Bayern’s biggest problem lies in the attacking department, where they will soon need to find a proper replacement for two of their old guards in Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller. Both are well into their thirties, with the former even being linked with a move to Chelsea ahead of the upcoming season.
That is where Werner could come into the fray, as he can offer an alternative for Lewandowski. But perhaps more importantly, he can be an ideal long-term replacement for Muller, making him an ideal component in Bayern’s attack that has lacked versatility and work ethic recently, especially from their wingers in Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry.
Not to mention, at Bayern, Werner will get the opportunity to reunite with Julian Nagelsmann. The newly-appointed coach at Allianz Arena was the mastermind behind the forward’s highly successful 2019/20 campaign that saw him score as many as 25 league goals for RB Leipzig before eventually earning a big-money move to Chelsea.
In the current setup, the Chelsea striker should be an ideal partner for Muller and Lewandowski in the final third. His experience of working under Nagelsmann should be critical, potentially even giving him the nod over Coman, Gnabry and Sane.
Bayer Leverkusen
As far as Werner’s potential Bundesliga destinations are concerned, one would naturally expect his former club RB Leipzig to emerge as one of the options. But in reality, die Roten Bullen might not be an ideal destination for the Chelsea star as they have quite a stacked goalscoring department.
If the presence of Alexander Sorloth, Hee-chan Hwang and Yussuf Poulsen was not enough, the Bundesliga giants have brought in Brian Brobbey and the mercurial Andre Silva this summer, leaving new coach Jesse Marsch with no short of five options in the number nine role next season.
As such, it is Leverkusen who might turn out to be a better destination for Werner, at least from a sporting perspective. Die Werkself is currently undergoing a summer of change, with new coach Gerardo Seoane most likely to lose out on the services of star player Leon Bailey.
The Jamaican international is set to join Aston Villa, while January signing Demarai Gray is also a shock target for Leicester City. Other options like Karim Bellarabi and Joel Pohjanpalo face an uncertain future at the club, thus accentuating the need for a versatile forward who can provide competition for Patrick Schick and Lucas Alario.
Werner appears to be an ideal option as the German international has experience in Bundesliga football. He tends to play well alongside a regular centre-forward, and that is where Leverkusen makes the most sense. In Schick, they have a striker who is physically strong and is coming on the back of a successful UEFA Euro 2020 campaign.
The Czech forward can certainly assume the role of Poulsen in Leverkusen’s setup next season. It should allow Werner to play his natural game in the final third, often drifting out wide. On that note, the Chelsea striker can prove to be a direct replacement for Bailey, with Werner likely to offer even more than his Jamaican counterpart.
Three Potential Destinations for Kurt Zouma as Chelsea prepare sale | THT Opinions
Much like Dortmund, though, Bayer Leverkusen may face financial difficulties in pulling off the deal to sign Werner. But from a pure sporting perspective, Die Werkself should give the German international an ideal platform as he looks to revive his career following a difficult first season at Chelsea.
