Timo Werner is set to leave Chelsea in the coming days and rejoin former club RB Leipzig on a permanent basis, football.london understands.
The German international was omitted from the Chelsea matchday squad on Saturday by Thomas Tuchel as the Blues began their Premier League campaign with a 1-0 victory over Everton. That was because talks over Werner's return to the Bundesliga side were progressing.
A season-long loan was originally discussed between the Blues and Leipzig. However, with Werner willing to take a substantial pay cut on his Chelsea salary – around £270,000 a week – the two clubs were able to come to an agreement over a permanent return for the forward.
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There have been conflicting reports over the transfer fee Chelsea will receive for Werner but football.london has been told the deal is worth around £25million including bonuses, many of which are viewed as achievable.
The 26-year-old arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2020 from Leipzig in a deal worth £49.5million. During his time in the Bundesliga, Werner had developed a reputation as one of European football's most reliable goalscorers. He has been unable to replicate that at Stamford Bridge.
Werner has struck just 23 goals in 89 appearances for the Blues and while no supporter could fault his on-pitch effort, he lacked the consistent quality to go with it. But he did play an important role for Chelsea in their run to the 2021 Champions League and also lifted the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup.
It's understood that Werner's relationship with Tuchel became strained this summer, something not aided by the Chelsea head coach's reaction to the striker stating he could "be happy anywhere" when questioned about his future during the club's pre-season tour of the United States.
"I'm surprised, I would be very happy as a young guy having a contract at Chelsea Football Club," said Tuchel. "I would be one of the happiest people on the planet. If he said this, I do not understand."
After his appointment as Chelsea head coach in January 2020, Tuchel was focused on unlocking Werner's goalscoring potential. He sidelined Tammy Abraham and put his trust in his compatriot. Yet while the Champions League was won, Werner's output in the final third remained a concern.
Last term, Tuchel experimented with Werner on the left of the front three and even partnered him alongside Romelu Lukaku on occasion. Still, the goals did not flow and football.london was told in the winter that Tuchel was running short on ideas as to how to reinvigorate Werner's form in front of goal.
He netted six times during the second half of last season, although two of those came in the FA Cup against Chesterfield and Luton Town. There was one high-profile strike against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu in the Champions League quarter-finals, but it proved in vein as Chelsea exited the competition.
It was always anticipated that Werner would push for a move away from Stamford Bridge this summer. His place in Hansi Flick's Germany squad for the World Cup is not secure. His squad role at Chelsea did not help that. It should be different at Leipzig, for whom Werner netted 95 times in 159 games during his first spell.
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