Chelsea complete Werner’s transfer with £170k-a-week deal
Chelsea have confirmed Timo Werner will join them from RB Leipzig this summer with the star set to become the club’s top earner.
The 24-year-old, who has 11 goals in 29 caps for Germany, has penned a £9million-a-year contract with the Blues, worth £170k-a-week.
Werner said: “I am delighted to be signing for Chelsea, it is a very proud moment for me to be joining this great club.
“I of course want to thank RB Leipzig, the club and the fans, for four fantastic years. You will forever be in my heart.
“I look forward to next season with my new team-mates, my new manager and of course the Chelsea fans.
“Together we have a very successful future ahead of us.”
Frank Lampard visited Werner before the coronavirus outbreak to hold talks with the attacker over the transfer.
And he has continued that pursuit throughout lockdown with a number of phone conversations.
His efforts have convinced the ex-Stuttgart forward that his future lies in West London.
He will leave Leipzig after a hugely-successful four-year stint in which he fired 93 goals in 157 appearances.
Chelsea chief Marina Granovskaia said: “We are very excited that Timo Werner has chosen to join Chelsea.
“He is a player who was coveted all over Europe and it is no surprise, he has that rare mix of being young and exciting and yet established and proven.
“We can’t wait to have Timo on board, but until then we wish him and RB Leipzig all the best for the rest of this season.”
Werner is currently enjoying the hottest spell of his career in front of goal, grabbing 32 goals plus 13 assists in 43 appearances in all competitions after scoring against Fortuna Dusseldorf last night.
He is determined to say goodbye to the club by firing them to Champions League qualification.
They only need two points from their final clashes with Dortmund and Augsburg to secure their spot for next season.
But he will not play any part in Leipzig’s quest for Champions League glory this term.
Werner has decided not to stick around and feature in the quarter-final in August and will instead concentrate fully on his new job in London.
But his new side Chelsea face an uphill task after losing 3-0 to Bayern Munich in the first leg of their last-16 tie at Stamford Bridge.
The Champions League is set to be concluded with a mini-tournament in Portugal in August.
Portugal’s capital Lisbon – which hosted the 2014 final between city rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid – is the likely host after being backed by the Portuguese FA.
The city has both the Estadio Da Luz – home of Benfica – and the Estadio Jose Alvalade, where rivals Sporting Lisbon play.
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Meanwhile, Werner could be joined at Stamford Bridge by compatriot Kai Havertz, but negotiations for the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder have reportedly stalled over the price.
Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno welcomed the news of his international team-mate’s arrival to London but warned Gunners fans his “killer instinct” could make the Blues title contenders.