Chelsea Transfers

[Superblue 6,370]

5 minutes ago, Supermonkey92 said:

BTW, theres no way Werner is a better wide player than pulisic. Christian has better dribbling and passing. His passing is so underrated.



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That depends what type of player you want there. Do you want a player capable of receiving the ball and taking players on to create. If this is the case then Pulisic is better.

Or do you want more of an inside forward who primarily is more of a goal threat than a creator and has the ability and understanding to make those runs from wide to centrally and also into the back post from an attack on the opposite flank. 

Currently, none of our wingers provide that style and as a result type of goal threat which I think Werner could provide playing there. I actually think Pulisic could develop that part of his game and score pretty regularly as a result but he's not quite there yet.

Regardless, it gives us multiple options in that area of the pitch with different skill-sets. The players that are more traditional wingers, capable of taking on opposition players (Pulisic and CHO), the wide playmaker in Ziyech and the wide forward in Werner. Potentially very exciting times.

[Vesper 28,291]

The inside story of how Chelsea landed Werner

https://theathletic.com/1856250/2020/06/05/the-inside-story-of-how-chelsea-landed-werner/

Less than three weeks ago, Timo Werner’s mind was in Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp had won him over, making clear his admiration and convincing him during two meetings and several WhatsApp chats that Anfield would be the best fit for the striker. It seemed an inevitable move.

Chelsea’s success in convincing one of Europe’s most prolific goalscorers to pick west London owes much to the speed with which they moved when an opportunity presented itself, as well as to owner Roman Abramovich’s willingness to spend what others would not.

Thursday’s rapid developments were no ploy to flush out an eleventh-hour bid from the Premier League leaders. Chelsea will finalise a €60 million (£54 million) deal to sign Werner from RB Leipzig next week, having agreed to match the release clause in his contract. He will be added to a dynamic young squad that was already set to be bolstered by the arrival this summer of Ajax’s Hakim Ziyech.

Chelsea’s big push was the culmination of 10 dramatic days that completely upended Werner’s vision for his future. But how did this happen?

---

For much of this season, Werner’s Plan A had been Liverpool, while Plan B had been one more season with RB Leipzig. But as the June 15 deadline for the release clause in his contract began to loom, Werner grew anxious. By the time the Bundesliga season ended, he wanted to be able to browse potential properties in Merseyside and go on holiday with his future settled. Above all, he did not want a repeat of last summer, when he said his goodbyes to RB Leipzig ahead of a move to Bayern Munich, only for the deal to collapse.

Werner set Liverpool a separate deadline to make a final decision on whether they were prepared to meet his release clause. Klopp consulted with Fenway Sports Group, then called the striker to explain why the move would not happen. Sources have told The Athletic that the Liverpool manager insisted the reasoning was purely financial, rather than any negative reflection on the player or his proposed role in Klopp’s squad. Werner accepted the explanation and the two men remain on good terms.

FSG does not take money out of Liverpool, but they do expect the club to live within its means. During the COVID-19 shutdown, the message coming from the highest levels at Anfield has been that there will be no major signings in the coming transfer window. The wage bill stands at £310 million and when the club reversed its decision to furlough staff in April, chief executive Peter Moore warned of “unprecedented operating losses” as a result of the pandemic.

When contacted by The Athletic, Liverpool insisted the decision to pass on Werner was not a financial one. It would, however, have been a vast outlay for a player who would have started his Anfield career as a substitute. Klopp can currently field arguably the most devastating front three in world football, and Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah are all in their prime years.

He had been planning to ease Werner into the starting XI around January 2021, when Africa Cup of Nations commitments were scheduled to occupy Mane and Salah for up to six weeks. But with that competition increasingly likely to be pushed back to 2022 as football’s schedule adapts to the effects of COVID-19, such expensive and high-calibre squad cover next season is less necessary.

Liverpool’s withdrawal opened the door for other suitors. Werner’s representatives re-opened talks with Manchester United and Chelsea. Both clubs had made their interest known earlier in the season, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had met the striker in Berlin in February, shortly before a meeting with Klopp. United, however, made it clear they would only be willing to meet the release clause if they found a buyer for Paul Pogba.

Chelsea presented no such stipulations. Marina Granovskaia indicated they would meet the release clause in full, and Frank Lampard called Werner to explain how he would fit into the club’s broader plans for the future. During two lengthy phone conversations, the striker warmed to the appeal of working under another admiring coach and joining a promising young squad.

COVID-19 travel restrictions prevented any Chelsea officials from flying to Germany to conduct the negotiations in person. Granovskaia handled discussions remotely while enlisting the services of Luxembourg-based lawyer Dr Michael Becker, who once represented Michael Ballack and often works with the club on transfer business in Germany. Werner cannot travel either due to hygiene rules set by the DFL, but there were no practical impediments to the deal.

RB Leipzig initially supported Werner’s plan to either join Liverpool this summer or stay with Leipzig for another year, though they were mindful of the fact that Werner’s release clause dropped to €40 million next summer and €25 million in 2022. However, financial fair play became a bigger consideration and The Athletic understands the club recently explained that to Werner who, though disappointed, understood he would have to leave for the good of the club. Since promotion to the Bundesliga in 2016, Leipzig’s net spend, according to Transfermarkt is €137.2 million, bigger even than Bayern Munich (€117.5 million).

Losing his top scorer stings for RB Leipzig’s highly regarded young coach Julian Nagelsmann, who played an instrumental role in convincing Werner to sign a new contract after Bayern dropped their interest in the summer of 2019. But there was always a recognition that the presence of a release clause in his new deal made this scenario likely, and the club’s stance towards a sale hardened their striker’s resolve to seek out alternative Premier League destinations when Liverpool withdrew.

---

Werner formally agreed to join Chelsea on Thursday afternoon, with news of his decision leaking out shortly afterwards. Sources have told The Athletic that Antonio Rudiger, who played alongside the striker at youth and senior level at Stuttgart and remains his team-mate in the Germany squad, was particularly excited by the prospect of welcoming his friend to Stamford Bridge.

All parties expect to complete the deal next week, as only relatively minor details need to be resolved. One is the precise payment plan, but there is a suggestion that two-thirds of the transfer fee will be paid this window, with the rest to follow in January. Another is length of contract; Chelsea are understood to want at least a five-year deal. Werner’s salary will increase year-on-year as the contract progresses, and is expected to reach in the region of £9 million per year (a little more than £170,000 per week) plus bonuses.

It is a big victory for Lampard, who publicly stressed the need to add more goals to his squad in January. He didn’t get his wish then, but next season he will be able to call upon a scorer coveted by Europe’s elite. For context, sources told The Athletic that Liverpool’s recruitment staff, widely regarded as among the very best in world football, rated Werner more highly than either Jadon Sancho or Kai Havertz due to his combination of lightning speed and positional versatility.

Lampard was also interested in Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, primarily because of his proven track record as a prolific goalscorer in the Premier League. Petr Cech, Chelsea’s technical and performance advisor, shared similar views after forming a very positive impression of the Gabon international’s personality and professionalism in the 18 months they spent as team-mates at the Emirates Stadium. Enquiries were made in January but it was late in the window, Barcelona were also in the picture and Arsenal were unwilling to sell.

Aubameyang, however, is 31 in June. Werner, seven years his junior, more closely fits the profile of the hugely talented batch of Chelsea academy graduates around which Lampard is building his squad. His skill set is also very similar to Dries Mertens, another prolific veteran who continued to draw admiring glances from Stamford Bridge until he committed to a new three-year contract with Napoli in May.

Werner’s arrival presents a challenge to Tammy Abraham, who remains the only one of Lampard’s home-grown core yet to commit to a long-term extension. Despite being very capable of carrying a goal threat from the left flank, 27 of the Germany international’s 35 starts and 24 of his 29 goals for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga and Champions League this season have come as a central striker.

But if Chelsea truly aspire to be elite contenders again, Lampard knows he must be able to call upon attacking firepower to match the very best. The acquisitions of Ziyech and Werner have emphatically addressed his squad’s most pressing need weeks before the transfer window officially opens.

[killer1257 3,282]

Sancho isn't happening. The Werner/Ziyech combo put an end to that. Further, I am not convinced he will actually move this Summer as the smarter financial move for him is to run his Dortmund contract to a year or less. 
Harvetz however, makes some sense as he can play in a midfield three and would bring goals. I know he plays as a WF/CF at times also but that is partly due to him being an insane talent. However, if we were to buy him I would say we would need to shift Barkley plus one of Kante/Jorgi to not end up with far too many CM's. 

He just conserves his energy to make his Yaya Toure bulldozer runs. You probably also thought that Yaya was lazy.
RLC is a special type of athlete. You need to use them to their strenght.

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[Supermonkey92 1,428]

That depends what type of player you want there. Do you want a player capable of receiving the ball and taking players on to create. If this is the case then Pulisic is better.
Or do you want more of an inside forward who primarily is more of a goal threat than a creator and has the ability and understanding to make those runs from wide to centrally and also into the back post from an attack on the opposite flank. 
Currently, none of our wingers provide that style and as a result type of goal threat which I think Werner could provide playing there. I actually think Pulisic could develop that part of his game and score pretty regularly as a result but he's not quite there yet.
Regardless, it gives us multiple options in that area of the pitch with different skill-sets. The players that are more traditional wingers, capable of taking on opposition players (Pulisic and CHO), the wide playmaker in Ziyech and the wide forward in Werner. Potentially very exciting times.

Agreed but I want to stress just how average Werner is when playing deeper

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[Special Juan 27,385]

Looks like Chilwell next, another big statement if it happens.

[Vesper 28,291]

Tactical analysis: how Werner has evolved into one of Europe’s best forwards

https://theathletic.com/1613834/2020/06/05/cox-and-worville-how-timo-werner-has-evolved-into-one-of-europes-best-forwards/

This was first published in February but has been updated due to Werner’s deal with Chelsea

Things were all-square at the top of the standings as Timo Werner travelled to Bayern Munich with his RB Leipzig team-mates last weekend. In Leipzig’s biggest match of the season so far, Werner produced his most prolific game, racking up four more to put himself into outright first place.

No, we’re not talking about the goalscoring charts — we’re talking about offsides. Nobody in Europe’s five major leagues has been caught offside as often as Werner, whose tally of 32 puts him just ahead of Lille striker Victor Osimhen. It’s a telling reflection of Werner’s style: consistently running in behind the opposition defence.

Being caught offside is of course not, in itself, a particular virtue, but Werner makes it work. Just as the players who have had the most off-target shots or conceded possession the most are generally those who also contribute the most in a positive sense, it’s a calculated gamble. Only Lazio’s Ciro Immobile (26) and Robert Lewandowski of Bayern (23) have scored more goals this season in Europe’s top leagues, with Immobile’s tally vastly inflated by 10 penalties.

A sizeable proportion of Werner’s goals follow a a single pattern — running in behind from an inside-left position before finishing a one-on-one confidently, often by rounding the goalkeeper.

“I like to knock the ball three or four metres ahead of me when I’m on the counter or have space in front of me,” he explained at the Confederations Cup three years ago, where he finished as joint-top scorer. “That way, I can increase the distance between a defender and myself.”

The key, of course, is Werner’s sensational acceleration. Some players’ speed only becomes obvious over the space of 30 or 40 yards but Werner is immediately quick, taking him clear of the defence seemingly without much effort.

As with many quick players, Werner was originally deployed as a winger in his formative years, using his speed on the right flank to go down the outside. His crossing was never particularly consistent, however, and it was no surprise when, as with so many modern forwards, he found his true home on the opposite flank, cutting inside and shooting, before gradually being deployed more as an onrushing forward.

Werner’s relationship up front with Yussuf Poulsen is easy to understand — Werner is 5ft 11in, Poulsen is 6ft 4in. While Werner has been caught offside 32 times this season, Poulsen hasn’t been even once. Werner has won four aerial battles all season, Poulsen 28. Werner wears No 11, the number of a quick wide player, Poulsen wears No 9, the classic penalty-box striker. Together, they combine well, in exactly the manner you would expect from these statistics.

The intriguing thing about Werner’s positioning, however, is that Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann has attempted to move him deeper this season, more as an inside-left than a pure on-the-shoulder striker. This, Nagelsmann believes, is the optimum way to use Werner’s speed.

“We’ve started him a bit deeper. We don’t want him right on the last line because he needs a bit of a head start, a bit of tempo, in order to really show his pace on the pitch,” he explained in an interview with the Bundesliga’s website last month. “When he’s on the last line, he often finds himself static when he needs to get going but with a bit of room in front of him, he can hit top speed. And from this deeper position, he’s much more involved in our build-up play and combinations.

“In the last few years, all his moments have come in transition, whereas now, he has his moments in combination play too. He’s having many more touches of the ball than in previous years and this new position has done his development good, playing in between the lines against teams who sit deep.”

It’s no surprise to learn that Nagelsmann is up to speed on Werner’s statistics and the frequency of his touches, and his slightly different role is reflected in the numbers for the latter…

Werner is now markedly more involved in his sides’ attacking moves under Nagelsmann than he was under Ralf Rangnick and Ralph Hasenhuttl. The reason for that being that Leipzig have more of an interest in using possession this season. They have had more sequences of ten or more passes already this season after 22 games (256) than they had last season (200) and the season before (248).

It seems likely Werner will be forced to work more in deeper positions as their two-legged Champions League last-16 tie against Tottenham Hotspur begins on Wednesday night because Spurs head coach Jose Mourinho will surely be terrified of his speed and order his defence to take up an even deeper defensive line than usual, even in this home leg.

That’s why Mourinho will be particularly disappointed to be without his own equivalent of Werner, Son Heung-min. Son’s winner at the weekend in the 3-2 victory over Aston Villa was the type of goal Werner has scored so many times this season — exploiting a mistake by an opposition defender playing in a high line, running through in that inside-left position and finishing calmly from a tight angle.

Another statistical metric can be used to demonstrate their similarity.

Here’s a ranking of players who have taken shots at goal having carried the ball for at least five metres before the shot, from Europe’s five major leagues. Werner leads the way with 30, ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, with Son in the chasing pack just behind.

In a game that could be about knocking the ball in behind the opposition defence, Son’s absence is a major blow for Spurs. At the other end, Werner’s speed could be the tie’s decisive factor.

[ZAPHOD2319 4,405]

If Frank wants to really make a run at winning the league in the next few years, the focus has to shift to defense.

 

[ulsterchelsea 3,221]

Out of interest who do we fancy for our starting 11? Also how do we reckon this will work out for the current young crop in the 1st team? I'm all for signing top players, you have to but I really have loved seeing the boys come through this season. Do you reckon there will be casualties amongst them now? Not sure I hold much hope for CHO and possibly Tam. Hope I'm wrong. Also really hope Billy doesn't get less time. Such an exciting talent

[killer1257 3,282]

Tactical analysis: how Werner has evolved into one of Europe’s best forwards
https://theathletic.com/1613834/2020/06/05/cox-and-worville-how-timo-werner-has-evolved-into-one-of-europes-best-forwards/

This was first published in February but has been updated due to Werner’s deal with Chelsea

Things were all-square at the top of the standings as Timo Werner travelled to Bayern Munich with his RB Leipzig team-mates last weekend. In Leipzig’s biggest match of the season so far, Werner produced his most prolific game, racking up four more to put himself into outright first place.

No, we’re not talking about the goalscoring charts — we’re talking about offsides. Nobody in Europe’s five major leagues has been caught offside as often as Werner, whose tally of 32 puts him just ahead of Lille striker Victor Osimhen. It’s a telling reflection of Werner’s style: consistently running in behind the opposition defence.

Being caught offside is of course not, in itself, a particular virtue, but Werner makes it work. Just as the players who have had the most off-target shots or conceded possession the most are generally those who also contribute the most in a positive sense, it’s a calculated gamble. Only Lazio’s Ciro Immobile (26) and Robert Lewandowski of Bayern (23) have scored more goals this season in Europe’s top leagues, with Immobile’s tally vastly inflated by 10 penalties.

A sizeable proportion of Werner’s goals follow a a single pattern — running in behind from an inside-left position before finishing a one-on-one confidently, often by rounding the goalkeeper.

“I like to knock the ball three or four metres ahead of me when I’m on the counter or have space in front of me,” he explained at the Confederations Cup three years ago, where he finished as joint-top scorer. “That way, I can increase the distance between a defender and myself.”

The key, of course, is Werner’s sensational acceleration. Some players’ speed only becomes obvious over the space of 30 or 40 yards but Werner is immediately quick, taking him clear of the defence seemingly without much effort.

As with many quick players, Werner was originally deployed as a winger in his formative years, using his speed on the right flank to go down the outside. His crossing was never particularly consistent, however, and it was no surprise when, as with so many modern forwards, he found his true home on the opposite flank, cutting inside and shooting, before gradually being deployed more as an onrushing forward.

Werner’s relationship up front with Yussuf Poulsen is easy to understand — Werner is 5ft 11in, Poulsen is 6ft 4in. While Werner has been caught offside 32 times this season, Poulsen hasn’t been even once. Werner has won four aerial battles all season, Poulsen 28. Werner wears No 11, the number of a quick wide player, Poulsen wears No 9, the classic penalty-box striker. Together, they combine well, in exactly the manner you would expect from these statistics.

The intriguing thing about Werner’s positioning, however, is that Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann has attempted to move him deeper this season, more as an inside-left than a pure on-the-shoulder striker. This, Nagelsmann believes, is the optimum way to use Werner’s speed.

“We’ve started him a bit deeper. We don’t want him right on the last line because he needs a bit of a head start, a bit of tempo, in order to really show his pace on the pitch,” he explained in an interview with the Bundesliga’s website last month. “When he’s on the last line, he often finds himself static when he needs to get going but with a bit of room in front of him, he can hit top speed. And from this deeper position, he’s much more involved in our build-up play and combinations.

“In the last few years, all his moments have come in transition, whereas now, he has his moments in combination play too. He’s having many more touches of the ball than in previous years and this new position has done his development good, playing in between the lines against teams who sit deep.”

It’s no surprise to learn that Nagelsmann is up to speed on Werner’s statistics and the frequency of his touches, and his slightly different role is reflected in the numbers for the latter…

Werner is now markedly more involved in his sides’ attacking moves under Nagelsmann than he was under Ralf Rangnick and Ralph Hasenhuttl. The reason for that being that Leipzig have more of an interest in using possession this season. They have had more sequences of ten or more passes already this season after 22 games (256) than they had last season (200) and the season before (248).

It seems likely Werner will be forced to work more in deeper positions as their two-legged Champions League last-16 tie against Tottenham Hotspur begins on Wednesday night because Spurs head coach Jose Mourinho will surely be terrified of his speed and order his defence to take up an even deeper defensive line than usual, even in this home leg.

That’s why Mourinho will be particularly disappointed to be without his own equivalent of Werner, Son Heung-min. Son’s winner at the weekend in the 3-2 victory over Aston Villa was the type of goal Werner has scored so many times this season — exploiting a mistake by an opposition defender playing in a high line, running through in that inside-left position and finishing calmly from a tight angle.

Another statistical metric can be used to demonstrate their similarity.

Here’s a ranking of players who have taken shots at goal having carried the ball for at least five metres before the shot, from Europe’s five major leagues. Werner leads the way with 30, ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, with Son in the chasing pack just behind.

In a game that could be about knocking the ball in behind the opposition defence, Son’s absence is a major blow for Spurs. At the other end, Werner’s speed could be the tie’s decisive factor.

Do you like Marina now? lol

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[ZAPHOD2319 4,405]

I really hope Tammy gets more time. He seems to be mature for his age and has a great upside.

CHO still looks like a very immature young man, and has not shown he is past his injury. To be fair to him, the majority of players are never as explosives as they were before a bad achilles injury.

[!Hazard! 3,394]

What is going on lol. Rest of the planet is dealing with pandemic and financial crisis and meanwhile at Chelsea it's like summer of 2004 all over again

[Supermonkey92 1,428]

I hope we say "byebye" to Willian after this. He cannot stay here, which means another piece of deadwood out of the door.
After Werner, we should get that defense fixed up pronto...
Starting with LB. No more Alonso/Emerson as starters. Get in Chilwell because that will be a massive upgrade.

I almost want a CB more than I do a LB.

Defence has been atrocious. But I dont even know if a CB with sort it. Is jorginho really defensively good enough? I dont think so.

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[Supermonkey92 1,428]

What is going on lol. Rest of the planet is dealing with pandemic and financial crisis and meanwhile at Chelsea it's like summer of 2004 all over again

Too fucking right.

Someone said havertz and I'm gonna play along like its 2004 and get excited. Dreaming during the transfer window is a good in and of itself regardless of whether it actually happens lol

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[Fulham Broadway 16,666]

2 minutes ago, !Hazard! said:

What is going on lol. Rest of the planet is dealing with pandemic and financial crisis and meanwhile at Chelsea it's like summer of 2004 all over again

We have your namesakes money, and the transfer ban has meant cash has accumulated - just need to sort out some backs that can defend set pieces now

[NikkiCFC 7,884]

19/20 season assists all comps:

Ziyech 21

Werner 12

Willian (best in Chelsea) 6

[Tomo 21,730]

4 minutes ago, !Hazard! said:

What is going on lol. Rest of the planet is dealing with pandemic and financial crisis and meanwhile at Chelsea it's like summer of 2004 all over again

Hazard and the incoming Morata money allows us to approach this window like the pandemic isn't happening.

[NikkiCFC 7,884]

11 minutes ago, Mana said:

I hope we say "byebye" to Willian after this. He cannot stay here, which means another piece of deadwood out of the door.

After Werner, we should get that defense fixed up pronto...

Starting with LB. No more Alonso/Emerson as starters. Get in Chilwell because that will be a massive upgrade.

Remember how desperate you were to sign anyone in January? You wanted any striker even guys like Piatek (bench warmer now in Berlin) and if we did that we would not be able now most likely to take Werner.

[Special Juan 27,385]

Morata sold and possibly Bakayoko being sold is money accumulated, as well as the Hazard money.