Door opens wide for West Ham, Fulham, Crystal Palace to snatch former Chelsea striker
West Ham, Crystal Palace and Fulham are all keen on signing former Chelsea man Timo Werner in January, according to reports.
Werner is struggling for game time at RB Leipzig and is believed to be interested in a move in January to ensure a spot at the Euros next summer.
The 27-year-old returned to Germany in 2022 after two years at Stamford Bridge. He endured a difficult spell in the English top division, struggling in front of goal. Werner made 89 appearances for the Blues, netting 23 goals in those outings and received criticism from fans for his lack of goalscoring threat.
Werner netted 16 goals in 40 appearances last term. So far this season, the German has managed just 203 minutes in the Bundesliga across eight appearances and has found the back of the net twice in those outings.
According to German media, Leipzig are set for a “wild winter” as they attempt to restructure their squad for the second half of the season.
Midfielder Emil Fosberg has already secured a move to New York Red Bulls and Werner could be the next player on the move after falling out of favour under Marco Rose.
Werner is aware of the fact that he needs to up his game time in order to be a part of Germany’s squad for the Euros next summer and Leipzig are reportedly open to discussions over a potential deal with anyone who shows an interest.
Werner has already been capped 57 times for Germany and will be hoping to up those numbers next summer as his country host the tournament. He has not featured for the national side since March of 2023 and was left out of the squad for their most recent round of international friendlies.
West Ham, Crystal Palace and Fulham ready to pounce
As relayed by SportWitness, West Ham, Palace and Fulham are all in the picture for his signature. Werner is reportedly not opposed to a return to England despite a difficult stint the first time around.
All three are in need of a goalscoring threat to bolster their squads and are believed to be keen on Werner. A new frontman has rocketed up the Hammers’ priority list after injuries to both Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio which could keep them out of action for some time.
One potential roadblock to a move could be Werner’s high salary, although for a Premier League side may not prove as much of a difficulty as some others.
West Ham also offloaded Declan Rice in the summer for a huge fee and he was presumably one of the bigger earners at the London Stadium, which could open the door for Werner’s arrival.
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