Chelsea defender Antonio Rüdiger has admitted that he spoke to long-time friend Timo Werner to help convince him to move to Stamford Bridge this summer.
Werner had spent months flirting with Liverpool and was believed to prefer a move to Anfield, but the Reds' reluctance to meet his release clause allowed Chelsea to swoop in and complete a surprise £47.5m deal.
To everyone at @ChelseaFC :
— Timo Werner (@TimoWerner) June 18, 2020
I’m incredibly happy to be joining the Blues next season! It feels like the right step for me and I am delighted to become a part of Chelsea FC. Really looking forward to playing for such a fantastic and historic club!
See you soon Chelsea fans! ? pic.twitter.com/WLcagJCHWt
The pair spent two seasons together at Stuttgart earlier in their careers, and Rüdiger told Chelsea's official website that he used their relationship to convince Werner that the Blues' project was worth joining.
"I did speak to him before because we have known each other for a long time," said Rüdiger. "We spoke a lot during the lockdown and he told me he was interested in coming to England. Of course then I did my bit, what I had to do."
Having known Werner since the forward's teenage years, Rüdiger knows exactly what Chelsea are getting for their money, insisting that Werner could become a crucial part of Frank Lampard's side going forward.
"Like everyone, I’m very excited that he’s chosen Chelsea and I’m looking forward to working with him," he added. "I’ve known him since he was 17 and he did very good in the past few years. He can be very important for us.
"His development was just 'wow'. In his first season everything was new for him in men’s football but then he started scoring more goals and of course with that comes confidence. He had very good coaches who believed in him and worked with him.
? Chelsea fans ?
— The Premier League is BACK on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) June 17, 2020
A Timo Werner rocket! ?
2️⃣6️⃣ Bundesliga goals for the season now! ? pic.twitter.com/iwFQzSTPtc
"He’s a really big threat to defenders. RB Leipzig is a more counter-attacking team but in terms of attacking the defensive line, he’s similar to [Jamie] Vardy. He has a lot of pace and if the defender makes a mistake and loses the ball, then he goes!"
Werner has rejected the chance to remain with Leipzig and finish the Champions League campaign and will therefore join up with the Blues at the end of the Bundesliga season, although he will remain unable to play until the start of the next campaign.
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Source : 90min