Thomas Tuchel cut a hurt figure in his press conference following Chelsea's pre-season defeat to Charlotte FC on penalties. The fixture saw Raheem Sterling's eagerly awaiting debut but the German coach's lingering impression was of a disjointed performance that lacked that quality he hoped for as the priority switched from physical fitness to tactical preparation.
In the midst of his post-match assessment, Tuchel was asked about the future of Timo Werner. The German forward missed the match through a hamstring issue but had earlier in the week been questioned over his future. Werner hinted that he may not have been entirely content at the club.
He said: "First of all, the most important thing is that I am happy. I am happy when I play and score goals. That’s the fact. I could be happy everywhere. It is clear I want to play more and I should play more to first be in good shape for the World Cup and, also, to have a chance to play at the World Cup. I think it doesn’t change anything whether it is a winter World Cup or in the summer. I think if I play half of the season or the whole season, I should play."
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Chelsea's 48-year-old was surprised by the comments and offered only brief comments in response. Tuchel said: "I'm surprised, I would be very happy as a young guy having a contract at Chelsea Football Club. I would be one of the happiest people on the planet."
He said he hasn't got the game time he perhaps wants? "So he needs to get his game time."
How does he do that? "Show quality, take your place and defend your place. I would be one of the happiest people on the planet having a contract with Chelsea. If he said this, I do not understand."
Is he in your plans for next season? "Sure, he is our player, sure."
Werner's position is perhaps not quite as secure as that, however. The 26-year-old forward was reportedly offered to Juventus when the Blues were in the hunt for Matthijs de Ligt and the Blues have signed a direct competitor for Werner in Raheem Sterling.
The former RB Leipzig forward has struggled to set Stamford Bridge alight in his two seasons at the club and as a result has been unable to command a consistent place in Tuchel's starting XI. He has often been favoured out wide, in competition with the likes of Mason Mount, Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi. Quite a lot of players aim for two positions despite their versatility.
Ziyech has been linked with a move to Milan already and clearly, some of the group find themselves in a vulnerable position. While Tuchel has already cut down his squad numbers through the departures of Tino Anjorin, Harvey Vale, Billy Gilmour and Armando Broja, but there are still a number of uncertain futures undergoing pre-season preparation.
CIES value Werner between £42.6m and £59.6m, after Chelsea paid almost £50 million in 2020. While he has not always shined he has still recorded 44 goals and assists. It's clear there could be some difficulty commanding a high fee, however.
Werner's position is perhaps symptomatic of people even more distant from the starting XI, that still remain with the current squad, however. The likes of Kenedy, Ross Barkley and Michy Batshuayi seem unlikely to be regulars in 2022/23 but the financial requirement to complete their signings has often offered a barrier to their departure.
It's a frustration that seems set to continue with just over two weeks until the Premier League kicks off. Chelsea still have a lot of business to complete and finding the right routes to trim down the squad will be crucial to ensure everyone remains engaged and at the right intensity in a difficult season.
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