Timo Werner has admitted he "imagined something more" during his time at Chelsea following his return to RB Leipzig.
The 26-year-old was brought in by Frank Lampard in the summer of 2020 for around £45million from Leipzig, with the German having a reputation for being one of the most sought-after strikers in European football. Liverpool were also interested in Werner, but the forward chose a move to Stamford Bridge instead.
There was genuine excitement that Chelsea had just signed someone who would score 20-plus Premier League goals in a season. In his debut campaign in England, Werner only managed to score 12 goals in all competitions.
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There was still a school of thought, though, that Werner was still adapting to life in a new country, in what were unprecedented circumstances with the Covid-19 pandemic. So many thought the Germany international would improve in his second season with the club.
However, he actually hit one less – with 11 goals in the 2021/22 season, which turned out to be his last for Chelsea. In August of this year, Werner completed his return to the Red Bull Arena to rejoin Leipzig for £25.3m.
Now, while on international duty with Germany, Werner has reflected on his time at Stamford Bridge. He said he almost "imagined something more" from his time in England.
"Personally, it wasn't the very best time," Werner told the German FA's official website. "I had imagined something more. I learned a lot, won the Champions League and other trophies.
"I enjoyed the two years abroad very much – and enjoyed London very much. I had one laughing eye and one crying eye. In Leipzig, not everything went so smoothly in the first few weeks, but the football under the new coach suits me very well and prepares me for what is required in the national team."
Werner was brought in by Lampard, but spent the majority of his time at Chelsea playing under his fellow countryman Thomas Tuchel. However, the former Chelsea head coach, who departed earlier this month, didn't fancy Werner and often left the forward on the bench.
In a recent appearance on the Einfach mal Luppen podcast, via Metro, Werner explained how Tuchel's tactics did not suit the way he wanted to play football. He said: "For me, the fun of playing football is in the foreground.
"Of course, I had great success at Chelsea, but the fun got a bit lost in the end because I didn't play regularly anymore. I think the coach's system of play didn't suit me perfectly. That's why it was clear to me that I wanted to take a new step.
"I'm at an age where I want to play as much as I can. I really associate very great successes with Chelsea – the greatest of my career. It will always be a special club for me. I also stay in touch with many of the players from the team."
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