Timo Werner’s proposed transfer to Chelsea is “perfect for all concerned”, says Stan Collymore, with the former Liverpool striker eager to point out that the Germany international is “not Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo” and would likely have flopped at Anfield.
A switch to Merseyside appeared to be on the cards for the RB Leipzig forward as speculation regarding his future began to build.
Werner had left a door open for Jurgen Klopp to make a move, while many had talked up the qualities that a hard-working and prolific 24-year-old would add to the ranks of the current Premier League leaders.
No approach was made by Liverpool, though, and Chelsea have stolen in to put a £54 million (€60m/$68m) deal in place.
Some have suggested that the Reds may be left to rue their decision not to rival a domestic foe for Werner, but Collymore believes too much has been made of Klopp’s call not to table an offer for a player who would likely miss out on a place in his preferred starting XI.
The former Liverpool striker told The Mirror: “The deal to take Timo Werner to Chelsea is a perfect arrangement for all concerned.
“Perfect for the player, perfect for the Blues, perfect for RB Leipzig, who are trousering £53million, and perfect for Liverpool as well.
“He’s a good, solid striker with promise — an all-rounder who holds the ball up well, is mobile, gets into the box and scores goals.
“But the Liverpool fans sobbing about missing out on him can spare me the tears because he’s not Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo and the way some have reacted, you’d be forgiven for thinking he was some sort of reincarnation of both.
“Liverpool are the European champions, world champions and soon-to-be Premier League champions, and there would be massive pressure on him as the summer’s marquee signing at Anfield on the back of all that.
“Add in the fact that Liverpool already have arguably the best-balanced front three in the world and I’m struggling to see where Werner would have fitted in.
“I wouldn’t have seen him displacing any of them and, given everything that team has done together, I could even have seen him flopping.
“Why? Because walking into that dressing room would have been massively intimidating for a 24-year-old.
“At Chelsea, though, he will look around and see Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud, and think, ‘Yes, good players, but I’ll have that challenge’.
“He knows he’s not the finished article yet and that’s what Liverpool will be looking for even if they aren’t the sort of signings Jurgen Klopp is fabled for making.”
Collymore added: “As for the notion that Jurgen Klopp couldn’t justify Werner’s fee, I’m sure there is an element of the Kop boss not wanting to appear gaudy or louche in the current climate.
“He’s not a Billy Bullsh*tter after all.
“Had he firmly believed Werner would be the next Sergio Aguero or Fernando Torres, though, I’m pretty sure he’d have been whipping out the old chequebook in a heartbeat.”