Timo Werner's resurgence has handed Thomas Tuchel a pleasant win-win dilemma ahead of the summer transfer window. The 26-year-old striker, who is beginning to be linked with moves away from the Blues, has finally roared into form lately and proved why £47million was tabled for his services just two years ago.
The Germany international has struggled to acclimatise to life in the Premier League since arriving in 2020 from RB Leipzig, where he was once considered the most in-form forward in Europe. In his final season for the German side, Werner directly contributed towards 47 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions, though he couldn't translate such form in west London.
While his maiden term at Chelsea under Frank Lampard is incredibly over-looked, he struggled to truly warrant his price tag. But, after an injection of confidence, Werner looks to have thawed out into his former RB Leipzig-self and given Tuchel a good problem to ponder.
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The £37.8million-rated striker, whose deal at the Blues expires in 2025, has quickly re-emerged as a prominent starter in Tuchel's side. He's directly contributed towards five goals in his last three games, rejuvenating his Chelsea career.
Tuchel has often spoken of Werner's needs to ignite his own resurgence and take responsibility for his misfortunes in front of goal., to which he's answered in spectacular fashion. The Blues boss reiterated his point after the striker's spritely display at St Mary's, stressing that he still has a long way to go before cementing an undisputed first-team role.
"At some point, there are no words, and you have to help yourself," he said. "You sign up for Chelsea or a top club. You have to live up to it and accept the pressure that comes with it.
"You have to help yourself in training, and you come on the pitch as a substitute. You have to be ready when the chance comes to be there, and this is what he did."
Tuchel added: "But he still needs to learn to adapt through moments like this because he used to play regularly and used to teams built for him, and he played for a transition team before. He needs to adapt to the physicality still of the league, and it is a process. The process isn't finished, but it was a big step in the right direction."
Werner's form looks to have reportedly caught the eye of several European sides who could be looking to nip a transfer race in the bud amid his growing confidence. The Express have reported that his agent Volker Struth travelled to Italy earlier this month to sit down with representatives from Juventus, AC Milan and Atalanta over a potential move at the end of the summer.
Werner's transfer value has depreciated 40% in value since he arrived at Chelsea, so any form will serve the new owners well if they ever look to recuperate his initial fee. Equally, if the German stays put then Tuchel will have an in-form striker on his hands. It's a win-win scenario.
