Chelsea forward Timo Werner has reportedly decided to take a huge pay cut in order to push through his departure from Chelsea this summer.
The German forward is believed to be looking to leave the Stamford Bridge club after a disappointing spell in west London following his £53million move from RB Leipzig two years ago. And he is now hoping to seal his departure after deciding he wants an end to his Chelsea nightmare.
It comes as Premier League rivals Newcastle United have entered the race to land Werner's signature. And the Blues ended their pre-season with a 2-0 win over Udinese.
Here are Mirror Football's latest Chelsea headlines.
Have Your Say! Should Chelsea part ways with Timo Werner during the summer transfer window ? Tell us here.
Werner makes decision
Timo Werner will reportedly accept a 50 per cent pay cut from his current £275,000 per week salary at Chelsea to secure his departure from the club.
The forward has had a disappointing time at Stamford Bridge, netting just 23 goals in 89 appearances in a Blues shirt. After falling further down the pecking order last season following the arrival of Romelu Lukaku, it appears Werner is now ready to leave Chelsea.
And reports coming out of Germany suggest Werner could return to RB Leipzig on a loan deal which could include an option for the Bundesliga outfit to re-sign him.
Newcastle enter transfer race
Newcastle United are exploring the possibility of bringing in Chelsea forward Timo Werner on loan this summer.
While Werner has failed to hit the heights he had hoped to at Chelsea, he is desperate to be a success in England and so he could look favourably upon the opportunity to remain in the Premier League. That could give the Magpies a big transfer advantage over RB Leipzig, who also want to bring in their former star on loan.
And Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is now thought to be keen to wrap up the signing of Werner before the transfer window shuts at the end of August.
Udinese player ratings
Chelsea claimed a 2-0 win over Udinese at the Dacia Arena in Italy on Saturday to finish their pre-season on a high.
Goals from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Hakim Ziyech sealed the win for Thomas Tuchel's side, with the Blues boss handing opportunities to impress to plenty of fringe players.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, Ethan Ampadu, Malang Sarr, Armando Broja, Kenedy, Billy Gilmour and Harvey Vale all got valuable minutes under their belts ahead of the new season, football.london reports. All of the players' performances have been rated – with Ruben Loftus-Cheek Chelsea's best player on the day.
