There is no sugarcoating the preseason performance put on by Chelsea: it was abysmal. A wonder-strike from substitute Mason Mount at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas saved the Blues from drawing with Mexican giant Club America, which would have signaled a winless preseason. Thomas Tuchel’s side dropped a match to Charlotte FC (in penalties) and it was also played off the pitch by Mikel Arteta’s high-flying Arsenal side in Orlando. Chelsea managed to score just three goals in three games, a worrying tally for a team expected to compete for a top four place.
Luckily for the Blues, they still have one more preseason tune-up before heading to Goodison Park in early August. They will face off against Udinese in a few days’ time before officially kicking off the 2022/23 campaign on Merseyside. This is music to supporters’ ears as the first three friendlies of the preseason didn’t exactly instill them with confidence. As Chelsea continues to chop and change its roster, the hope continues to grow that there will still be some changes, especially as it relates to the attack. Reports on Monday evening were enough to get the Blues’ supporters excited about the possibility of changes still to come.
News update regarding Chelsea wantaway sparks hope amongst supporters
The unfortunate reality of the transfer window is that Chelsea has signed just two players up to this point. August is creeping up on the calendar, and Todd Boehly and Co. still have yet to deliver a handful of quality players to Thomas Tuchel. Perhaps even worse is the fact that only one unhappy individual has departed: Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan. This has left the German manager with a squad littered with players who have their sights set elsewhere.
It won’t be long (he types with unwarranted optimism) until another attacker is on his way out, as well. Fabrizio Romano claimed on Monday evening that there is a serious possibility that German international Timo Werner will be the next one to leave west London. The former £50 million signing from RB Leipzig has struggled to adapt to the English game, and with his minutes dwindling, he will be looking to move elsewhere in Europe. The Blues offered him back to Leipzig recently, but the German outfit wasn’t exactly interested in talking with the Premier League giant at the time. Werner’s name has also come up in discussions that Chelsea held with Juventus. He is said to be one of two strikers on the Old Lady’s wishlist, alongside Alvaro Morata.
While supporters have always loved and supported Werner, a break up seems best for all parties. A mutual split benefits both sides and the sooner a deal gets done, the better. The Blues will have lost Lukaku and Werner when that day comes, which means attacking reinforcements are inevitable. This is an intriguing prospect to many fans who watched their team suffer to score goals during the preseason tour of the United States.
If nothing else, Werner’s departure would represent yet another non-Tuchel signing moving on from the team. If the Blues want to have any shot at competing for the Premier League title any time soon, they’re going to need to rebuild this roster to the 48-year-old’s liking—similar to what Liverpool and Manchester City have done for Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola respectively. Even Tottenham is in the midst of stripping its squad down to mold it in Antonio Conte’s image; Arsenal has also been rebuilding for Mikel Arteta for a couple of seasons. Chelsea is lagging behind its competition for numerous reasons, but selling Werner would represent a huge first step toward entrusting Tuchel with the long-term project.
What do you make of the rumors of Werner’s exit? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!