Former Chelsea player-manager Glenn Hoddle insisted that Chelsea must avoid selling Timo Werner even if they are to sign a new elite striker this summer such as Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland.
Obviously, at the moment, it might be unthinkable to offload Werner after just one season.
After all, he still racked up 12 goals and 10 assists in all competitions despite several frustrating barren spells last season.
But if Chelsea manage to convince Haaland to join this summer, Werner would certainly find it more difficult to keep his spot in the team.
Werner struggled to establish himself as a regular starter for the Germany national team despite the absence of an elite No.9 in their squad.
With that, Hoddle argued that Werner has often been unlucky with his obvious offside problems.
He also warned the Blues that selling Werner could mean losing a 25-goal-a-season striker to another club.
“Werner is a strange one,” the former Chelsea boss told Football London.
“I think there’s one more season where I wouldn’t throw out the baby out with the bathwater because he’s so close to scoring.
“He’s probably had more VAR goals disallowed from offsides, slightly offside, and only fractions.
“You’re talking fractions, you’re not talking ‘Oh, he ain’t got a brain, he’s offside again by a yard.’
“At the end of the day, there’s a story behind the story with Werner.
“He could go somewhere if you let him go, he could go and score 25 goals, and Chelsea fans and Chelsea are thinking, ‘No, let’s hope he can do it with us.”
The 63-year-old thinks that Chelsea should prioritise their reported transfer pursuit of Haaland, regardless of whether it might potentially limit Werner’s role next season.
“Haaland’s a different story, to be honest,” he explained.
“If you can go and get him, then you go and get him and worry about Werner and other players after.
“If you have the luxury of doing it, then you do it.”
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