Timo Werner rubs salt in Chelsea wounds with 30-yard goal on RB Leipzig return

Raheem Sterling on his move to Chelsea

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Chelsea flop Timo Werner has immediately rubbed salt in his former side’s wounds by scoring from 30 yards on his return to RB Leipzig. The Blues were already reeling from the huge financial hit they took by selling the German, who could make manager Thomas Tuchel rue his decision by rediscovering his goal-scoring touch in the Bundesliga. 

RB Leipzig only officially completed the signing of Werner on Wednesday for an initial fee that some reports claim is just £17million. That makes eye-watering reading for Chelsea and their fans, having shelled out £45m to sign him from Leipzig just two years ago. 

His Premier League goal-scoring record was modest at best with 10 goals across two seasons. The relationship between the forward and Tuchel supposedly broke down during pre-season and the decision was taken to allow his departure. 

Despite arriving back in Germany just this week, Werner was thrown straight into the starting line-up and made his point within 36 minutes. He took one touch to control a powerful pass into his feet before curling an effort towards the far corner from long range. 

Although goalkeeper Marvin Schwabe certainly won’t want to see any replays, it was a dramatic way for the striker to announce his return to Leipzig, with whom he scored a superb 95 goals in 159 games before heading to Stamford Bridge. 

Werner’s strike was his first since April 12, when he notched in Chelsea’s Champions League quarter-final defeat to Real Madrid. Many fans were left perplexed as to why he couldn’t find his scoring form in west London after such a productive spell in Germany. 

Romelu Lukaku suffered a similar fate when he returned to the Blues last summer in a big-money move from Inter Milan. The Belgian failed to gel with Thomas Tuchel’s system and pounced on an opportunity to return to Italy on loan this summer. 

While the switch is only temporary on paper, the Belgian’s actions and words since arriving back at the San Siro suggest that he is ready to burn his bridges and write off any chance of returning to Chelsea in the future. “The season at Chelsea gave me extra motivation to do even better than before,” he told DAZN. “I think in one year everyone has forgotten about the things I am capable of doing on the pitch.

“That is a kind of anger that I have inside me. That now the team has it too, which didn’t win last year, all together we hope to do better and bring something home. So many things. I think before, when I left, I wanted to take revenge at Chelsea because when I was young it was my team for 11 years. I had the opportunity to go back there and thought I would be a hero, but that wasn’t the case.

“In March, when I heard there was an opportunity to come back here, slowly I didn’t say anything, but toward the end of the season we did a very good job with the club and I was able to come back here. I make reflections only at the end of the season, so after the last game I put myself to think what my situation was. I saw that as a player with Inter I did well, the season at Chelsea for me was difficult. I had no doubts, that’s why I made the decision to come back here.”

Source: Read Full Article