Timo Werner: Chelsea's move for RB Leipzig forward suits both parties, says Michael Ballack
"A good young team is being built there, it is very promising. He [would be] playing together with even better players than in Leipzig"
Sunday 7 June 2020 15:18, UK
Timo Werner's impending move to Chelsea is a transfer that suits both the player and the club, says former Blues midfielder Michael Ballack.
RB Leipzig forward Werner, who is the second-highest scorer in the Bundesliga this season, is set to join Chelsea when the transfer window opens at the end of the season.
Werner has a £49.4m release clause - which expires on Monday June 15 - in his Leipzig contract, and Chelsea have offered him a £200,000-per-week deal.
They look to have beaten Premier League rivals Liverpool and Manchester United to the 24-year-old's signing, and former Germany captain Ballack believes the move is a sensible one.
He told Sky Germany: "I think it's a good decision for both sides. For Timo, because he fits there, because the way he plays football suits him.
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"I think that, with Chelsea, he decided for a club where he has a better chance of playing, which is very important to him.
"The team will be rebuilt, it will certainly be strengthened and Chelsea will spend a lot of money to compete at the top again.
"A good young team is being built there, it is very promising. He [would be] playing together with even better players than in Leipzig."
Werner has been one of the standout players in Germany this season, and his goals have helped Leipzig to third place in the Bundesliga with just four matches remaining.
But Ballack says Werner will have to improve even more if he is to be successful in the Premier League, saying: "The intensity of games in England is higher because there are so many games.
"You need to have your own well-organised rhythm, live a healthy life and avoid injuries.
"[It is] very important to improve your strength in duels. It is more difficult for strikers in England because the referees don't whistle for everything.
"But Werner will get used to the Premier League quickly - he's fast, powerful and strong in duels."
Why Werner is joining Chelsea
By Kaveh Solhekol, Sky Sports News reporter
The coronavirus pandemic has meant that clubs have been drastically cutting their transfer budgets, but Chelsea are owned by the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and £49m looks like a fair price for a prolific 24-year-old forward who is still young enough to have a high resale value if and when he leaves Stamford Bridge.
The negotiations with Leipzig are being handled by Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia and the two clubs did business last summer when the promising Ethan Ampadu moved from Stamford Bridge to Leipzig on loan.
Frank Lampard also has more money to spend than some of his rivals because, while clubs such as Real Madrid and Barcelona were spending fortunes last summer, Chelsea were serving a transfer ban.
When considering where he was going to move to this summer, Werner made it clear he wanted to play in the Champions League. Chelsea will restart the Premier League season in fourth place, three points ahead of Manchester United. Fifth place may be enough for Champions League qualification this season if Manchester City lose their appeal against their European ban.
Watch the Premier League live on Sky Sports
- 64 live games on Sky Sports from restart date of June 17
- 25 games to be made freely available
- New Sky Sports digital innovations also planned to enhance fan experience
The Premier League 2019/20 season will restart on Wednesday, June 17 and Sky, the UK's leading football broadcaster, will make 25 games available 'free to air' - including Everton vs Liverpool on the first full weekend back - for everyone in the UK to enjoy.
Sky Sports will show 64 live Premier League games when the season resumes. In addition to the 39 matches already scheduled to be broadcast exclusively live on Sky Sports before the coronavirus interruption, 25 more matches will be available on both Sky Sports Premier League and Sky's free-to-air Pick channel, allowing the whole nation to be part of the return of live sport.
To celebrate the return of the Premier League, Sky Sports will also launch a host of innovative new features and updates to give fans an even more immersive experience and share the moments live with family and friends on virtual platforms.
