Timo Werner could make his Premier League debut for Tottenham Hotspur at Manchester United. There is already a hail of criticism, scorn and ridicule for the transfer.
Timo Werner knows the customs on the island only too well. When he was still playing in the Chelsea FC jersey, fans edited videos of missed chances, TV pundits criticized him harshly, and the “Yellow Press” isn’t exactly squeamish anyway. Consequently, the striker was hardly surprised by the ridicule that greeted him upon his return.
Werner is moving from RB Leipzig to Tottenham Hotspur on a six-month loan deal. Werner had already played in the Premier League from 2020 to 2022, when he moved from Leipzig to Chelsea for a fee of 53 million euros. In the summer of 2022, RB brought him back for 20 million euros.
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“He’s very versatile, he misses scoring opportunities with his left foot, his right foot and his head,” complained Simon Jordan, the former owner of Crystal Palace, on the talkSPORT radio station before Werner even played a game for Spurs had.
With his possible debut at Manchester United on Sunday (January 14, 2024), the 27-year-old, who absolutely wants to go to the European Championship at home, is making a second attempt in the tough Premier League. His former club FC Chelsea will probably also see what Werner does with his city rivals. The “Blues” will play against FC Fulham on Saturday (match summary from 6 p.m. in the Sportschau).
Souness: “He’s a gap-filler”
Graeme Souness, the Liverpool FC icon and TV expert, also has his doubts about Werner. “He’s a gap-filler, he’s another alternative. I don’t think he’ll be very good,” said the Scot, who, however, credited Werner with being the kind of player “who gets three or four chances every game because “he is quick and gets himself into the right position”. He just needs too many chances.
His performances in the current season, in which Werner lost his regular place at RB Leipzig and only scored two goals in eight Bundesliga games, give Souness cause for concern: “It was difficult for him to score goals and I would say that nothing has changed.” But the truth is that Werner’s time at Chelsea in particular is viewed more critically than the numbers suggest. On paper there are 23 goals and 21 assists in 89 games as well as winning the Champions League.
Replacement for Heung-min Son
But his missed shots remained in the memory, which is why Werner wants to prove himself. He will probably get enough chances in the six months that he is on loan from RB Leipzig, as top striker Heung-min Son is at the Asian Cup. “I hope I can be the best player I can be here. The people who have followed me a bit in the Premier League know that I can use my speed, that I can be a threat to the opponents “, said Werner.
The newspaper “Daily Mail” also described Werner as a “dud”, but at the same time speculated: “If the knot breaks, then the ‘Spurs’ may have made one of the deals of January.” The “Telegraph” speculated that the offensive style of play of the “Spurs” under coach Ange Postecoglou could benefit Werner. And then Werner might even be able to silence his critics.
Tottenham back within striking distance
After a good start to the league (ten games without defeat) and a subsequent dry spell (five games without a win), Tottenham has now picked itself up again. In the last five games there was only one defeat out of four successes, with 39 points the Londoners are six points behind leaders Liverpool FC in fifth place. The next opponent, Manchester United, is in eighth place with 31 points.