Chelsea attacker Timo Werner has fallen out with boss Thomas Tuchel amid his pending departure to RB Leipzig, according to reports.
Despite signing for the Blues just two years ago, it appears as though the 26-year-old is set to return to his former side after a disappointing spell in west London.
His first season for Chelsea saw him amass 27 goal contributions in all competitions, but he was less successful in the following campaign and questions were soon raised over his future at the club.
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Werner was not included in the squad that beat Everton 1-0 on the opening day of the new Premier League season, with Jorginho’s penalty being the only goal of the game.
Earlier reports on Sunday revealed that he is very close to sealing a return to Leipzig, for whom he emerged as one of the most exciting talents in European football prior to his move to Chelsea.
The Evening Standard have now revealed that Werner has had a falling out with Tuchel.
It is believed that the German duo were arguing during a private meeting about the way in which Werner was being used in the side, as well as his amount of game time.
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As a result, the forward did not feature in either of the pre-season friendly matches against Udinese towards the backend of their summer schedule.
With Chelsea’s summer activity set to continue, Werner is now likely to be the next player to leave the club.
Patrick Berger has reported that his move to Leipzig will be a permanent deal rather than a loan, and it will cost the Bundesliga side around €30 million.
Both clubs are now in the final stages of the negotiations, and the move is now only a ‘matter of time’.
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Werner scored 95 goals in 159 appearances at Leipzig before he signed for Chelsea, and a return could see him repeat those numbers after failing to do so in the Premier League.
However should he leave, the Blues will be short of options in the striker department.
Kai Havertz and Armando Broja are their only recognised choices for the role, with both featuring against Everton on Saturday.
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Havertz started the game but was unable to find the back of the net, and Broja came on to replace him with 15 minutes remaining.
Chelsea had to battle hard for the three points on Merseyside, with the Toffees testing their defence throughout the match.
Despite this, the only goal of the game fell to the visitors.
Ben Chilwell was fouled inside the area towards the end of the first half, and Jorginho soon netted the spot-kick to hand his side the win.
Topics: Timo Werner, Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea, RB Leipzig, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours
Robert Calcutt