Reports: Juve open talks with Chelsea over possible Timo Werner loan move

It wasn’t so long ago that Juventus were quick to reject a transfer offer that included Timo Werner. That’s mainly because Werner, one of Chelsea’s many disappointing big-money signings over the last couple of years, was thrown into an offer for Matthijs de Ligt to try and get the overall transfer fee down to something the Blues felt more comfortable paying.

That offer was quickly rejected.

But it doesn’t mean Juve’s necessarily done with Werner-related things this summer.

According to Sky Sport Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio, Juventus and Chelsea have held talks about a potential loan move for the 26-year-old Werner. The main reasoning why Juve have reached out to Chelsea about a potential loan move is to set up some sort of backup plan if they can’t complete another deal with Atlético Madrid — be it permanent or on loan — for Alvaro Morata, who spent the last two seasons on loan in Turin.

It is widely thought that Morata is the first choice to complete Juve’s attack by manager Max Allegri, but Werner could be an interesting option if the Bianconeri and Chelsea can figure out some sort of deal financially considering Werner’s high annual salary.

While Juventus have also reportedly been in the market for a backup to Dusan Vlahovic, Werner is much more of an option out wide on the left wing, an area of the field that Juventus doesn’t necessarily have any natural options out there. With Federico Chiesa not due back until mid-September, Allegri will likely have to be a little creative with how he sets up his starting lineup knowing that there are no natural left wingers, with Juan Cuadrado being the latest to be tested in that position during Tuesday night’s friendly against Barcelona.

But to say the last two seasons have been a rough one for Werner would probably be an understatement. He has scored all of 10 goals over 56 Premier League appearances the last two years, becoming more known for his poor form and inability to finish rather than actually playing well for extended periods of time. Thought to be one of the faces of the new-look Chelsea during the 2020 summer transfer window, the €50 million fee paid to RB Leipzig is looking like quite the misstep based on how his career in London has gone.

Because of that lack of production, Fabrizio Romano, Di Marzio’s Sky Italia compatriot, has maintained throughout the last month that Werner could be on his way out at Chelsea this summer. Werner, who has three years left on his contract with Chelsea, has also been recently linked with a move to Newcastle United.