Published 12:55 IST, September 5th 2020
Timo Werner SNUBBED Pep Guardiola and Man City in favour of Chelsea move: Report
German international Timo Werner is said to have snubbed a move to Manchester City to join Stamford Bridge. Regular playing time was said to be a key factor.
Just when the Timo Werner saga was beginning to take shape, the German striker chose to go ahead and sign with Frank Lampard's Chelsea, ahead of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool. While Liverpool's interest in Werner was known at the time, reports in Germany indicate that there was additional interest from the Premier League in the former RB Leipzig frontman. Reports suggest Timo Werner rebuffed an offer from Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in order to move to London. Pep Guardiola reportedly called up Timo Werner to try and persuade the striker to join Manchester City. However, the German international completed his move to Chelsea instead after the west Londoners paid £53 million to RB Leipzig for his services.
Timo Werner SNUBBED Pep Guardiola and Man City in favour of Chelsea move
Sport Bild in their report claim that Pep Guardiola had Timo Werner on his list of priority for the summer transfer window. The German was also close to joining Liverpool. The report states that Timo Werner rejected the move once he got to know that Chelsea were also entering the race to sign him. Werner is already off the mark for his new club as he netted a goal during their 1-1 draw in a friendly against Brighton & Hove Albion. Werner continued his form in the UEFA Nations League scoring a goal against Spain in a closely fought encounter.
The Sport Bild report suggests the main reason for Timo Werner was game time since Manchester City already have Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus in their ranks. The former Leipzig man saw more potential of regular game time at Chelsea and thus opted for a move to Stamford bridge.
Chelsea transfers see Frank Lampard backed to the hilt
Timo Werner is far from Frank Lampard's only high-profile summer signing. Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell and Malang Sarr have all signed for Frank Lampard's side this summer taking the total number of incoming players to six. The Chelsea boss will look to his new additions as he looks to bridge the gap with Liverpool and Man City.
Man City transfers news: Koulibaly move rumbling on
In the latest Man City transfer news, Pep Guardiola's City were linked to Barcelona icon Lionel Messi. Man City currently have no dearth of attacking options but the move to sign Lionel Messi on a free was deemed to difficult to pass up on. However, the Barcelona icon has announced that he will be reluctantly staying with the club for another year. So far, Man City have signed Nathan Ake from Bournemouth and Ferran Torres from Valencia. A move for Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly is also in the works. However, the move for the Senegal centre-back has been complicated by their relationship with the Neapolitans.
Also Read | Pep Guardiola, Best Friend Sergio Aguero Crucial Factors Luring Lionel Messi To Man City
(Image Credits: Timo Werner Twitter)
Updated 12:55 IST, September 5th 2020