Antonio Rudiger has finally speak out on how he try his best in convincing Timo Werner to join Chelsea. He said:
“I did speak to him before because we have known each other for a long time,” Rudiger told the official Chelsea website. “We spoke a lot during the lockdown and he told me he was interested in coming to England. Of course then I did my bit, what I had to do.”
Both Rudiger and Werner started their professional careers at Stuttgart, and their path crossed in the first team for a bit when Timo was just rising through the ranks. Of course, the two players are still teammates in the Germany side.
“Like everyone, I’m very excited that he’s chosen Chelsea and I’m looking forward to working with him,” the 27-year-old continued. “I’ve known him since he was 17 and he did very good in the past few years. He can be very important for us.
“He’s a really big threat to defenders,” Rudiger added. “RB Leipzig is a more counter-attacking team but in terms of attacking the defensive line, he’s similar to Vardy. He has a lot of pace and if the defender makes a mistake and loses the ball, then he goes!”
This season alone, Werner has registered 32 goals and 12 assists in 44 games for RB Leipzig. His transfer to Stamford Bridge was officially announced last week. It’s understood that the 24-year-old has agreed to a five-year deal with the Blues and will earn around £9m per year.
The Germany international is bound to join the Blues in July, although he won’t be able to help his new teammates in the Champions League games in August and will only start representing the club from the 2020/21 season.