Tottenham recruits former Chelsea player

Tottenham are set to bring striker Timo Werner back to the Premier League, 16 months after he left Chelsea.

The North London club have signed Werner on loan from RB Leipzig to bolster their attack for the remainder of the season. The Germany international will arrive in London today, January 7, for a medical, after being given permission by RB Leipzig to leave their training camp in La Manga, Spain.

Timo Werner celebrates after scoring for RB Leipzig in their 6-0 win over Cologne in the Bundesliga on October 28. Photo: AFP — Timo Werner celebrates after scoring for RB Leipzig in their 6-0 win over Cologne in the Bundesliga on October 28. Photo: *AFP*

Werner did not play in the friendly on January 6, when RB Leipzig won 1-0 at St Gallen. The German team's coach Marco Rose confirmed: "This is the right time for Timo to go on loan. He wants to compete for a place at Euro 2024. We wish him all the best and hope that the bad luck will stay away from him."

Werner has made 14 appearances this season, mostly as a substitute, scoring twice. Despite failing to establish himself at RB Leipzig, Werner remains in demand, with Manchester United and Aston Villa also reportedly interested in signing the 27-year-old in January.

According to the Daily Mail , Tottenham agreed to pay Werner's salary for the rest of the season, estimated at $5.73 million. At the same time, the German striker's contract has a buyout clause worth $18.45 million.

Many people are skeptical about the possibility of this contract being successful, because Werner had an unsuccessful time playing in the Premier League with Chelsea. However, Tottenham coach Ange Postecoglou believes that Werner's speed, discipline and ability to contribute to the team will suit his tactics.

Tottenham will be without Son Heung-min for about a month as the striker returns to South Korea for the Asian Cup. With Werner, Postecoglou wants another option up front. However, defence is the Australian's top priority. Tottenham are likely to sign a centre-back this month, and are in talks to sign Romanian defender Radu Dragusin from Genoa for $28 million.

Werner moved from RB Leipzig to Chelsea in 2020 for $60 million. At that time, he was a notorious goalscorer in the Bundesliga and was expected to shine in England. However, Werner could not adapt to the new environment. He scored 23 goals in 89 matches but that was not enough to satisfy Chelsea. In 2022, the Stamford Bridge team accepted a heavy loss when Werner returned to RB Leipzig for only $23 million plus additional fees. When he returned to Germany, Werner still could not regain his form and lost his starting position to the striker duo Benjamin Sesko and Lois Openda.

Duy Doan (according to Daily Mail )

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