Timo Werner on Chelsea, Liverpool and Why the Move Never Truly Fit

Timo Werner has said what many suspected all along. The fit at Chelsea never looked natural, and now the forward has admitted as much.

When Werner arrived in the Premier League in 2020, he came with a serious reputation. Chelsea paid a reported £47.5 million to sign him from RB Leipzig, where he had scored 95 goals and became the club’s record scorer. In Germany, he was direct, fast and ruthless in transition. In England, the output dropped.

Across two Premier League seasons, Werner scored 10 league goals in 56 appearances. In 2020/21, he played in 35 of Chelsea’s 38 league games and managed six goals. For a striker signed to lead the line, those numbers were underwhelming. That is the blunt reality.

Chelsea spell brought trophies, not fluency

There is, however, another side to the story. Chelsea’s own figures showed no team-mate scored more goals or supplied more assists than Werner in 2020/21. That matters. So does the medal haul. He won the Champions League in May 2021, then added the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup before leaving in August 2022 with 23 goals in 89 appearances.

Werner has now reflected on that period and made clear where the issue lay. “I think that was the style how we played at Chelsea. Maybe it was not like the right style for me but it was the right style for our team back in the days,” Werner said. “So, always have to like what is it right for me or is it right for team?

“That was right for team, maybe not the best thing for me. Maybe if I would play at Liverpool or a different team, I would have more of that.”

Photo: IMAGO

Liverpool transfer links still linger

This is where Liverpool enter the conversation again. Werner was heavily linked with a move to Anfield in 2020 and he has previously confirmed talks took place. Asked if he regretted not joining Liverpool, his answer was short and telling, “Maybe, but not really.”

That sounds about right. He believes Liverpool’s style may have suited him better, yet he also left Chelsea with major honours and, by his own account, good memories. He has said before that joining Chelsea and winning the Champions League was “not the worst decision.” Hard to argue with that.

Werner career now moving in MLS

After returning to Leipzig in August 2022, Werner spent time on loan at Tottenham Hotspur from January 2024 until May 2025. On 29 January 2026, he joined San Jose Earthquakes on a Designated Player contract running through June 2028.

The move has given him traction again. He was named MLS Player of the Month for April, had scored six league goals by late October, and helped San Jose clinch a playoff place for the first time since 2023.

So no, the Chelsea move was not a disaster. It simply was not the right football fit. At this level, that distinction matters.