Newcastle United are now considered an ‘outsider’ in the race to sign Timo Werner due to the sporting merits the Toon offer, amid rival interest in the Chelsea forward from Arsenal.
That’s according to Sky Germany, who note Werner would relegate Newcastle in his list of possible suitors. The German’s future at Stamford Bridge is now more uncertain than it has ever been since he moved to the Premier League giants from RB Leipzig for £45m in 2020.
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His days in west London are seen to be numbered after admitting he could play anywhere and be happy. Several clubs are also exploring the conditions required to take the 26-year-old out of Chelsea, with Werner keen to secure more playing time ahead of the World Cup.
Werner would relegate Newcastle interest when considering Chelsea exit
Werner only featured for 1,285 minutes in the Premier League last season, having started in just 15 of his 21 appearances. The 53-cap international also only started in three of his five games in the Champions League, three of five in the FA Cup and two of four in the EFL Cup.
Knowing he needs regular action to cement his standing as a starter in Hansi Flick’s side in Qatar, Werner is considering leaving Chelsea. But a move to Real Madrid is unlikely to give the minutes he craves, while Juventus are yet to indicate if they want to loan or buy him.
A return to RB Leipzig is a more realistic route as Werner could feature beside Christopher Nkunku. It would also offer Champions League football, whereas the sporting merits that Newcastle offer will see Werner push their interest to the back of his path out of Chelsea.
Werner acknowledges that Newcastle can present him with a greater volume of minutes if he leaves Chelsea for Tyneside. But the current stature of the St James’ Park natives is not at the level the £270k-a-week star believes he should be playing at this point of his career.
Arsenal also exploring surprise move to sign Werner from London rivals
Arsenal are also exploring a surprise move to sign Werner from their London rivals, report Defensa Central. Mikel Arteta is paying close attention to developments at Chelsea, as he considers further striker moves after signing Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City for £45m.
It would take an offer of around €40m (£33.5m) for Chelsea to consider selling Werner this summer, per CalcioMercatoWeb. The Blues may also consider loaning him out in order for Werner to deliver the skill that Mason Mount praises, with his contract running until 2025.
“He’s been brilliant since he came in at Southampton and then in Madrid,” Mount told the Chelsea website in April. “You can see he’s full of energy.
“In the second-half [of a Man of the Match FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace] there was a moment where he missed a chance. But then me and Jorginho were laughing on the bench because he sprinted all the way back to the halfway line and made a tackle.
“That’s what we’re all about. He gives everything, so I’m very pleased for him. He got me a little assist, could have had another one and he could have had a couple of goals, as well.”
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