Chelsea given clear run to sign Timo Werner after Bayern Munich rule themselves out of transfer race for striker

Posted Thursday, January 16, 2020 by Thesun.co.uk

CHELSEA have been given a clear run at Timo Werner as Bayern Munich have pulled out of the transfer race for the 23-year-old striker.

Sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has explained why the German champions have made the decision not to sign the striker from RB Leipzig.

According to reports, Bayern had the opportunity to snap up the 5ft 9in striker for just £21million due to a change in his release clause.

However, Salihamidzic has explained why the hot shot would not have been a good fit at Allianz Arena.

In an interview with Sport Bild, Salihamidzic said: "Timo Werner is a good player who had an excellent first half of the season. However, we have Robert Lewandowski. Robert is a striker who is a perfect fit for our playing style.

"Robert is able to orientate himself despite having little space on the pitch. He has the ability to move in tight spaces and find excellent solutions with the ball.

"With his pace, Timo Werner needs more space, just like he had in the system that Leipzig played. They may have changed their system, but it's still not as tight for them offensively as it is for us."

Bayern Munich’s transfer rejection leaves the door wide open for Chelsea to sign Werner, in an attempt to fill the void left by Eden Hazard’s departure.

Scoring 18 goals in 17 Bundesliga appearances, whilst also providing six assists on top of that it is clear why Frank Lampard has had the youngster on his radar.

Throughout the season, it has been reported that Chelsea have sent scouts to numerous games to keep an eye on Werner and have come back with nothing but glowing reports for the manager.

Werner’s versatility means he can play anywhere across the front three and Lampard is said to believe his playing style is perfectly matched to that of Chelsea’s.

The signing of Werner could be beneficial in alleviating the goal scoring pressure on Tammy Abraham's young shoulders.