Chelsea have managed to perform the coup of the season and sign centre-forward Timo Werner from right under Liverpool’s noses.
The 24-year-old was always tipped to join Liverpool during the course of the summer transfer window but eventually, it was Chelsea who managed to convince the player to ditch a move to Anfield and join them instead.
Earlier this week, the Blues announced: “Chelsea Football Club has reached an agreement with RB Leipzig to sign Timo Werner.
“The 24-year-old has agreed personal terms with the Blues, and will remain at the German club for the rest of the Bundesliga season. He will link up with his new team-mates in July, subject to passing a medical examination.”
This has been a major blow for Jurgen Klopp who had been wanting to sign the German international since ages and Werner was supposed to be the long-term solution to Roberto Firmino – a player who’s been misfiring all throughout the season.
While most pundits and fans think the signing of the Leipzig man is a big step up for the Blues in challenging Liverpool for the Premier League title, but former Liverpool star John Barnes thinks Chelsea will not be able to get close to Liverpool despite signing Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech.
Barnes said, as reported: “They’re already thirty-odd points behind Liverpool. I don’t think they’re going to close that gap just because they’ve signed Ziyech or Werner.
“What will happen is they will become more competitive – and being competitive for Chelsea means challenging for the top four spots. I still believe Man City and Liverpool are well clear ahead of everybody else.
“Now, of course, you have to try to improve, and that’s what they will do next year by signing players of real quality.
“I do expect them to make more of a challenge next year. But do I expect them to win the title? No, of course not. They still have a way to go.”
We also agree to the fact that Chelsea might not be challenging for the domestic title next season itself but by signing players like Ziyech and Timo Werner, Frank Lampard has made a statement of intent.
It will still take the manager a couple of more transfer windows to completely remould his squad but surely these are alarm bells for Liverpool. Not only because they have one more competition for the league title but the fact that despite being one of the best teams in Europe, they failed to lure in Timo Werner.
