Official: RB Leipzig sign Timo Werner from Chelsea

Timo Werner’s Chelsea adventure has drawn to a close today, two years, three trophies, and four 23 goals after arriving in London.

The 26-year-old has returned to RB Leipzig on a cut-rate deal, having failed to reproduce the form that made him such a sensational striker in the Bundesliga before: his worst season for Leipzig saw him score 13 league goals; he scored just 10 times in the Premier League for Chelsea in two years.

Chelsea paid Werner’s €60m buyout in 2020, taking advantage of our strong financial position in a weak market. We’re now getting just €20m back, with another €10m or so in potential add-ons in the future. That’s certainly not a fantastic deal for us, but perhaps speaks to the current leadership’s emphasis, where possible, on not dragging things out with loans in search of a few extra dollars, as we might have seen in such situation in years past.

In any case, good luck, Timo. You’ve been adorable.