How will Timo Werner's short Chelsea career be remembered?

Despite the fact he never really lived up to his hefty £50 million price tag in west London, the majority of Chelsea fans are still gutted to see Timo Werner leave the club after just two rather lacklustre years at Stamford Bridge.

The German forward has returned to former club RB Leipzig in the German Bundesliga for a fee believed to around £25m, in a bid to secure more game time before the Qatar World Cup later this year. And while he leaves the Blues as a Champions League winner, he arguably won’t be largely remembered for his European Cup success.

Affectionately known as ‘Turbo Timo’ by the Chelsea fanbase due to immense pace, Werner’s time in the English top flight will widely regarded as a flop. The 26-year-old often offered very little in front of goal, struggling to rediscover his Bundesliga goalscoring form in the Premier League, and he struggled for minutes when Thomas Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard — making just 15 starts in the league last season.

All-in-all, Werner scored 23 goals in his 89 appearances for Chelsea — therefore averaging a goal almost every four games, a far cry from what is expected of a forward for a top club in one of the best leagues in the world. His four goals and one assist in 21 Premier League matches last season are proof that the Blues won’t be less favoured in the online sports betting without the German.

Flop or not, Werner heads back to his homeland with a Champions Leaguer winners’ medal in his luggage and that’s the pinnacle of the sport in Europe. It was in the continent’s premier competition that he arguably performed best in fact, with the style of football played in the tournament perhaps suiting the German more — as he did openly admit to struggling against the Premier League’s towering, physical centre backs like Virgil van Dijk and co.

He scored four goals and racked up two assists in his 12 Champions League appearances as Chelsea won the competition for the second time in 2020-21, including a crucial goal against Real Madrid in the semi-finals as the Blues beat Los Blancos 2-0 at the Bridge, and he replicated that tally last season despite playing just five times.

Interestingly, it was in that shock Champions League final victory over heavy favourites Manchester City that Werner’s relationship with Tuchel really started to decline. The German coach substituted the forward just minutes after he appeared to ignore his touchline instructions, and the fact he was used sparingly last year could have been a result of that fall out.

The arrival of Raheem Sterling from Man City this summer proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Werner’s Chelsea career. The England international was only going to reduce Werner’s appearances on the left flank even further, and with the German being left out of the Blues’ matchday squad for their opening round fixture against Everton was further proof he was on the way out.

Ultimately, Werner’s departure is of best interest for both the club and the player. The 26-year-old wasn’t performing anywhere near his true ability and showed no real desire to improve or fight for his place at the club, while a return to Leipzig takes him out of the media spotlight and gives him more game time at a crucial period of his career.

He might be remembered fondly by Chelsea fans as he eventually grew on them despite his poor performances and long string of poor misses, but that is, unfortunately, his how his time in England will be remembered by most.