Decisions, decisions. Are the reigning European and new Premier League champions the best fit? Or would spearheading the attack for a vibrant young pretender in the fashionable capital be a better option?
Timo Werner faced such an enviable dilemma after a sensational season at RB Leipzig. Linking up with fellow countryman Jürgen Klopp looked the likely outcome this summer, before coronavirus cast doubt over Liverpool’s financial clout.
Chelsea did not mess around, and swooped for their man, making Werner their second major signing ahead of next season after the capture of Ajax’s Hakim Ziyech.
Has Werner missed an opportunity of a lifetime in linking up with the all-conquering Liverpool, though?
One man well placed to empathise with Werner’s conundrum is Michael Ballack. Having ran his contract down at Bayern Munich in 2006, the captain of Germany had an army of suitors, waiting with bated breath to see who he would join.
Manchester United looked set to be the golden ticket winner but, like Werner 14 years later, Ballack opted for the capital.
“The offer from Man United was very good, and they got there first,” Ballack tells i. “There are small details why you pick one club over another, and Chelsea was the best for me at the time. For my family, moving to London at the age of 29 was great for me, and it is such a big club.
“There were times in my career I had Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United all interested in me. I don’t regret any of the decision that I made, especially joining Chelsea. The only wish I had is that I wanted to stay longer.”
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At the moment of Ballack’s signing, Chelsea had won back-to-back league titles, with Jose Mourinho at the helm. United offered him a great deal, but Ballack felt his best fit, where he would be most effective, would be Chelsea.
With Werner, Ballack feels the same issue of where to make the biggest individual impact will have played a major role in the mindset behind the 24-year-old’s choice.
“If Liverpool was really an option for him, he made the best decision for him, and only he can make that decision,” Ballack says.
“You have to value certain things, like how much playing time you will get and how important a role in the squad you will have. Liverpool have won the Champions League and Premier League.
“How could Timo expect to come into that front three and start every week in place of Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino or Sadio Mané?
“Chelsea are building a young team, a new team, with a young coach. It is a great project to be part of, given how young Timo is. To be the main striker, at a huge club like Chelsea, is the best place for him. He can have a much bigger impact than he could at Liverpool.
“Although Liverpool and Man City’s squad is much stronger than everyone else’s right now, Chelsea are starting to create a really competitive team.
“It will take time, and Timo is just part of that journey. You need the depth, but in Timo and Hakim Ziyech Chelsea have the start of a squad able to challenge for titles again.”
Chelsea, would not offer Ballack more than a one-year deal at the age of 33 in 2010, so he signed for Bayer Leverkusen.
United won the league three out of the four years Ballack was in London, but even coupling this with the heartbreak of losing to United in the 2008 Champions League final, Ballack remains content in his choices and, he believes, so will Werner.
“I am not a person who regrets something,” Ballack says. “When I make a decision, I make a decision and I am 100 per cent behind that decision. Even if another move could have been better.
“Timo and Chelsea is great fit. Chelsea do not have this kind of player at the moment. They have many quick, skilful players, but not anyone that can do the basic things, head straight for goal, like Timo does.
“There is a reason why Chelsea signed him, so he must focus on what he is good at. Chelsea know he is not going to be as skilful and quick as other players. He will adapt to the way of playing quickly, but should not try to alter his style. If he plays to what he is good at, he will be an amazing signing for Chelsea. It is a great place to play football.”
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