West Ham linked with January move to sign £53m laughing stock Timo Werner as disaster strikes but how has he done since Chelsea flop?
West Ham have been linked with a January move to sign £53m laughing stock Timo Werner as disaster strikes but how has he done since Chelsea flop?
If there was any remaining doubt that West Ham should have signed a striker in the summer then it was eradicated at the weekend.
Injuries to Michail Antonio – who could be out for three months – and Jarrod Bowen threaten to leave West Ham seriously short up front.
David Moyes – by design or failure – did not replace Gianluca Scamacca after selling the Italian to Atalanta after just one season with the Hammers.
Now he faces the prospect of having to rely on flop Danny Ings or youngster Divin Mubama.
West Ham linked with £53m laughing stock
The only saving grace for West Ham is that the January transfer window is not far away. But neither is AFCON, to which Moyes will likely lose three attackers in the shape of Mohammed Kudus, Said Benrahma and Maxwel Cornet.
Reports had already abound that the Hammers were looking to bring in a forward in the winter window.
That was before the injuries to Antonio and Bowen. So it’s no real surprise that speculation is now ramping up.
It’s fair to say some of the links are somewhat underwhelming, though. Especially one in particular.
West Ham have been linked with a January move to sign £53m laughing stock Timo Werner as disaster strikes but how has he done since his Chelsea flop?
The likes of 90min claimed last week that Werner was interesting West Ham and other London clubs.
How has Werner done since Chelsea flop?
And Get Football News Germany has now confirmed West Ham’s interest in signing the 27-year-old RB Leipzig outcast in six weeks’ time.
TeamTalk claim Werner could prefer a move to West Ham after they guaranteed knockout European football in the new year for a third consecutive season.
Would it be a good move for the Hammers, though?
Most West Ham fans will probably remember Werner best for his misses in a Chelsea shirt.
They seemed to be a weekly occurrence as the German striker became a Premier League laughing stock.
That was perhaps a touch harsh with much of the focus on Werner coming from the £53m price tag that brought him to Chelsea from Leipzig in the first place.
After netting 95 goals in 159 games for RB Leipzig in his first spell, it’s fair to say Werner did not live up to his fearsome reputation when he joined Chelsea.
Point to prove or pointless?
The alleged West Ham target scored just 23 goals from 89 appearances for the Blues. And although he picked up a Champions League winner’s medal along the way, he had his own miss of the season competition at one stage.
Back in Germany his goals to games ratio has improved slightly without ever getting back to his peak scoring powers.
Werner has 18 goals from 53 appearances but finds himself fourth choice attacker at Leipzig, hence the links with West Ham.
For Hammers fans it would take some going to find anyone worse than Ings.
But whether Werner is the right way to go with some of the other talent around is another matter entirely.
Returning to London would see the spotlight put back on Werner. But perhaps with less pressure and something to prove, he could be a clever signing.
We won’t have long to wait to find out whether West Ham are serious about the move.
