Craig Burley has claimed that Newcastle United transfer target, Timo Werner, wants to ‘get out’ of Chelsea this summer, as he told ESPN.
The former Chelsea midfielder added that Werner is a player ‘doubting’ what he can do and it’s ‘concerning’ that he is talking about being worried about game time at Stamford Bridge given that Thomas Tuchel needs a striker, after letting Romelu Lukaku leave on a loan deal to Inter Milan.
Despite his struggles in London, the German international is still attracting interest from other Premier League teams, with Newcastle expressing an interest in the player.
Signed for £45 million in 2020 (Sky Sports) as a regular scorer in German’s top-tier, it’s fair to say that the former RB Leipzig man has struggled during his time in England.
Speaking about Werner’s situation in West London, Burley feels that the versatile forward just simply doesn’t want to be at the club.
“I think it’s a player who is doubting to do it at this club,” said Burley. “He’s got a shortage of confidence. He had his mate with him, who was the same, in Lukaku.
“It hasn’t worked for him, thus far. When Tuchel talks about him trying to get that consistency, it’s exactly what frustrates the Chelsea fans.
“He is the type of striker, at the moment, to get five or six clear-cut chances to get one goal. It just seems to be that he is thinking in his own head, looking at it from the outside and reading his words, that he is looking to get out of there.
“When he is talking about playing time and World Cups. I think he wants an early exit – that form from RB Leipzig and the German national team isn’t falling onto this club.
“If Timo Werner is thinking about game time, when you have just loaned your £100 million striker and you don’t have another frontman, and a Germany international is worried about game time?! That’s concerning for me.”
NEWCASTLE SHOULD STAY CLEAR OF WERNER
After scoring 89 goals in Germany from 221 matches, Werner has only managed ten Premier League goals from 56 games.
To put that into context, injury-hit Callum Wilson scored eight last term alone and that’s despite being out for a long period of time and then having to come back and find his touch.
Not only should Werner’s struggles, lack of composure and big chances missed be a worry for the Magpies, but so should his comments on being worried about game time at Chelsea.
Tuchel needs more forwards this summer, they lack depth up top, and they don’t have an out-and-out striker, yet one of your forwards is worried about game time.
That in itself just goes to show where his mind is at and how he feels that he simply can’t take the pressure of scoring goals for Chelsea, so if Newcastle want to reach that level, then it’s not a player they should be knocking for.
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