Timo Werner: Will Ange Postecoglou rejuvenate forward at Tottenham after poor form and low confidence?

Timo Werner set for loan at Tottenham until end of season; Spurs then have option to buy forward for £15m; Germany international won Champions League at Chelsea but struggled for goals and has been hit by injury since returning to RB Leipzig with Euros spot in doubt

Senior Football Journalist @psmithXI

Sunday 7 January 2024 17:08, UK

Just three years ago, Timo Werner was the rising star of German football. With 78 goals in 127 appearances for RB Leipzig, he seemed primed to take the Premier League by storm when Chelsea paid over £47m for him.

Now, Tottenham have struck a deal with Leipzig which could see them sign him permanently for just £15m in the summer, should his half-season loan work out.

It's a big drop-off in valuation but reflective of the difficulties Werner has been through over the past seasons. At 27, he should be in his prime. Instead, he is at a crossroads in his career, needing to re-prove his potential — to himself as much as everybody else.

That big-money switch to Chelsea brought a Champions League triumph but it wasn't a successful move for Werner personally. 10 goals in 56 games was a miserly return from an Expected Goals total of 18.54 across those two seasons. Big chances were missed, offsides were routine.

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He told Sky Sports about how Covid restrictions had left him feeling «a little bit alone» and his form on the pitch didn't help him to settle.

A return to Leipzig in August 2022 was supposed to reignite the spark but instead an ankle injury before the World Cup in Qatar was another hammer blow. There have been just two Bundesliga goals and two starts across eight appearances for Leipzig this term.

Werner will be desperate for this