In an era where the term ‘world class’ is often abused and misused, Timo Werner is a striker who fits the bill to a tee.
The 24-year-old comes to SW6 with the reputation of being one of the deadliest strikers in world football right now and a pedigree unrivaled by most. Timo Werner guarantees goals.
Making his debut for VFB Stuttgart in 2013, the then 17-year-old became the youngest player to ever play for the German club and later the youngest player to score for them with his header against Frankfurt later that year.
This was the season after he had amassed a total of 31 goal contributions in just 24 games for Stuttgart at youth level.
Werner is heavily involved in lots and lots of goals everywhere he goes. He had a total of 95 goal contributions in 165 games through the ranks at Stuttgart, and after moving to Leipzig in July 2016 for €14 million has an outstanding 121 goal contributions in 154 games, with 32 of those coming in just 29 games this season alone.
He has also proven himself on the biggest stage in Europe, the UEFA Champions League, with 9 goal contributions in 14 games.
One of the traits which makes Werner so fearsome is his explosive pace.
Nicknamed Turbo Timo by the media when he first burst onto the scene, the Germany international has been clocked at 11.1 seconds over 100 kilometres. He uses this searing pace to slice through defences like a hot knife through butter, often going on solo counter attacks beginning with a flash of acceleration and ending with a finish of class.
Werner is the main striker of Die Mannschaft, the German national team. He has 11 goals in 29 games, including the three which won him the Golden Boot in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, a tournament the Germans won with a Werner assist in the final.
Having proved himself at every stage available to him, it comes as no surprise then that top clubs all over Europe were clamoring for his signature this summer.
Chelsea have been lucky to get their hands on this gem of a striker, and with Pulisic, Ziyech and Abraham already on their books, they could be a real force to reckon with come next season.
By Nene Afadzinu