The 24-year-old will miss out on the rest of the Champions League campaign after agreeing to join the Blues, leading to criticism from some in Germany
Timo Werner’s agent has defended the RB Leipzig star from criticism over his £47.5 million ($59m) move to Chelsea.
It was confirmed this week that the German forward will join the Stamford Bridge side on a five-year deal next month. The transfer means he will miss out on the remainder of this season’s Champions League, which will resume in August.
Werner has faced criticism for walking out on his side before they contest the quarter-finals of the European competition, though managing director Oliver Mintzlaff came to his defence on Saturday, saying he is an “absolute sportsman”.
Karlheinz Forster has reiterated Mintzlaff’s message and says Werner does not deserve a negative image.
“What annoys me is that Timo is now being put in a corner and portrayed as a bad sportsman who lets his team-mates down,” Werner’s representative told Sport1. “I have to contradict that very clearly and I can only agree with what Oliver Mintzlaff said yesterday before the game!
“It would have been anything but a good start for Timo at his new club if he had to return to Leipzig for the preparation and the Champions League after the break.
“It was the joint vote of all parties involved – and not just Timo’s decision – that he should move to Chelsea on July 1, and not until mid or late August.”
Chelsea beat the likes of Liverpool and Bayern Munich to the signing of the Leipzig star and ex-Germany star Oliver Bierhoff believes he was right to pick the Premier League ahead of staying in the Bundesliga.
“There’s a lot of competition at Bayern, so you have to have a certain character. He’s more of a player who lives on continuity and trust,” he said to Sport1. “English football is good for him. He’ll have a good development there. I see him there more than in a team that works purely with technical football.
“He is a player who needs space, who needs depth and who plays out his speed. Maybe that was also a thought when changing.
“Timo always wants to play. Maybe there are also financial aspects. For example, Chelsea said: ‘We cannot take the risk that he will start with us injured or tired’.
“I believe that there has been pressure on Timo from various sides.”
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