Werner plays down Chelsea exit rumors, looking ‘at the bigger picture’

Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku are very different strikers, but the latter’s arrival has meant a drop in minutes and involvement for the former. And that is already leading to some exit rumors for Werner.

Fitting as they may be with his relative drop in goalscoring from the levels seen in the Bundesliga, they aren’t exactly something Werner’s concerned with at the minute. His focus, as one would expect, is on training hard and earning back his minutes.

“The last few weeks have been difficult at Chelsea. After many years, I was suddenly a little behind and had to fight my way again. A career always goes up and down, never steadily upwards. But you learn to deal with it. I have to bite into it again, that challenges me. Of course, I would like to enjoy more minutes, so I give my best in training.”

Werner’s recent change in representation has also added fuel to the rumors, especially as the new agent is said to have close ties with Bayern, but Timo claims it was just a personal choice to go with Volker Struth. Considering that two of his previous agents are currently suing each other in public court, it’s probably a good thing that he’s gone with someone else instead now.

“I didn’t choose Volker because he has some players and the coach in Munich. I repositioned myself with him to get a new perspective on my career. This should not be interpreted as a hint for or against Bayern. It just worked out well between us. It wasn’t about which club might be of interest to me in the future. It was just about the interpersonal basis. The cooperation so far has been very good.”

Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images

Fighting for his place may be an unfamiliar thing to Werner, but he’s learning quickly. After playing just 164 minutes in our first six games, he’s played 290 in our last five, including full-90s in three of our last four in all competitions. In those five games, he’s also scored twice and picked up an assist. If he keeps that up, the minutes will surely continue to flow.

“[There is no] ‘deadline’. Of course, I can’t be satisfied if I don’t play. Of course, I want to be a regular in a big team. But I’m not saying that if I don’t start 10 or 15 games before Christmas, I really want to leave. Things happen relatively quickly in football. I have to look at the bigger picture to make my decision.”

-Timo Werner; source: Express via Sport Witness

If there is one thing we know about football, it’s that you never truly know (the future) in football. As Werner says, his situation could change relatively quickly. But right now, the situation is that he’s earning his minutes, and playing all the better for it — and earning the adulation of the crowd because he’s pretty adorable.

And that’s not a bad place to be, is it?