Why Tottenham decided to sign former Chelsea man Timo Werner

 

Tottenham fans were blindsided when reports of a January move for Timo Werner began to gain momentum. With Son Heung-Min now absent due to his participation at the Asian Cup, Spurs need another attacker in order to ease the burden on the current crop at Ange Postecoglou's disposal. 

 

Former Celtic man Jota was tipped to make the move to north London and link up with Postecoglou once more but Werner has since completed his loan switch to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Spurs fans will have thought back to his Chelsea days and broken out in a cold sweat at the prospect of the German featuring on the frontline for their side. 

 

That said, is there perhaps method to the madness in the decision to sign Werner? The 27-year-old is signing on loan until the end of the season having struggled to nail down a starting spot for RB Leipzig this term with Lois Openda, Yussuf Poulsen and Benjamin Sesko ahead of him in the pecking order. Spurs are believed to have an option to buy Werner for £15.5m if his stint back in London proves to be a success. 

 

And even with his struggles in his first spell in England, Werner was perhaps a victim of circumstance at Stamford Bridge. The Blues are hardly the best run club in the land, evidenced by their need to sell homegrown players to help balance the books to remain in line with Financial Fair Play regulations. In such an unstable enviorment, Werner was one of many who struggled to find their best form at Chelsea. 

 

At Spurs, he'd be playing a specific role in a set system that has quickly come into place under Postecoglou. Werner is not only a versatile forward capable of playing any of the three main forward roles in Postecoglou's 4-3-3 formation but he has pace to burn, which is key. Speed down the flanks, particularly on the left flank without Son for the foreseeable future, is of the utmost importance for Postcoglou's side. Yes, a centre-back is a priority but if they head in February without attacking reinforcements then it'll be a turgid few weeks for Spurs without their captain.

 

 

Given Werner's off the ball movement and willingness to press from the front, the Germany international should match Postecoglou's desire to force opposition turnovers in the final third. For a Tottenham outfit that has won possession in the attacking third more times (129) than any other Premier League side this season, Werner's desire to hassle defenders in pursuit of the ball will match Postecoglou's high pressing demands. 

 

It's a gamble by Spurs to pursue the services of a player who has faltered in the Premier League but they could turn Werner's struggles into a positive. Indeed, the striker will want to prove a point on his second attempt in England and he'll be arriving to a positive envirorment under a manager who'll give the forward a much-needed confidence boost. 

 

It's the confidence that was routinely found wanting during Werner's time at Chelsea. He'd often find himself in goalscoring positions yet fluff his lines in front of goal, noted in that Werner was presented with more clear-cut goalscoring opportunities (31) than any other Chelsea player in the Premier League during his two years at Chelsea. 

 

If Postecoglou can coax out the Werner that netted 28 goals and laid on a further eight assists during his final season at RB Leipzig, then Spurs will have a handy option for the second half of the campaign, and one that will ease the pressure on Richarlison and Brennan Johnson to shoulder the goalscoring burden in Son's absence. 

 

Werner may have been nowhere near the top of wishlists as Spurs seek to bolster their forward ranks this month but if he is a player that Postecoglou has signed off on, then supporters will certainly give the RB Leipzig man their full backing. Time his runs right, work hard off the ball and rediscover his goalscoring touch - the latter arguably the most important aspect - and Werner could well prove the perfect 'low risk, high reward' forward addition this month.

Why Tottenham decided to sign former Chelsea man Timo Werner