With another club change, Timo Werner wanted to recommend himself for the European Championship. But the 28-year-old was and still is not an issue for national coach Julian Nagelsmann. Things aren’t exactly going well for the attacker in England.
Tim Kleindienst or Jonathan Burkardt? When there was discussion these days about the best possible striker position in the national team due to Niclas Füllkrug‘s injury, it was about the two professionals from Borussia Mönchengladbach and FSV Mainz 05. Not about Timo Werner, once again. The 28-year-old is in his prime as a footballer and has scored 24 goals in 57 international matches – but Werner hasn’t played a role in the DFB team for a long time.
The striker has been looking for his fortune back in England since January, on loan from RB Leipzig to Tottenham Hotspur. But things aren’t going really well on the island. Werner scored his last goal in the Premier League in March. The 28-year-old, who last wore the DFB jersey in March 2023, occasionally hints at his potential. For many fans and critics, however, Leipzig’s former top scorer is now considered a so-called death of chance.
Following the 3-2 defeat in Brighton a week ago, Werner had to endure a lot of criticism and malice for his poor finish. After Tottenham’s 3-0 win at Manchester United, there would have been enough reason to be happy. But not for Werner, who twice appeared free in front of United keeper André Onana and missed both top-class chances. The Spurs definitely could – or should – have won by a bigger margin that day.
A few years ago, Timo Werner was on the wish list of several Premier League clubs. At that time, Chelsea FC beat Liverpool FC. But Werner was never able to really assert himself at Chelsea. The situation is currently similar at Tottenham, where Werner is under contract until the summer of 2025. It currently seems unlikely that Spurs will sign him at the end of the season for the fixed sum of around 10 million euros (8.5 million pounds).
Coach praise for Werner in difficult times
Nevertheless, there is still hope for Timo Werner. Because Tottenham coach Ange Postecoglou has not lost faith in the German loanee. Quite the opposite. “That’s how it is in the world today,” said the Australian after the Man United match. “We think because he missed two chances he is hopeless. No, he’s not hopeless.”
Postecoglou was largely satisfied with Werner’s performance, especially since the German international also provided a good assist, which his teammate Will Lankshear missed. “If it had been there, Timo would have had a great assist,” said the coach. “If he had scored twice in the last two games we would be having a completely different conversation now. But it’s a fine line to walk.”
Ange Postecoglou recalled Werner’s teammate Brennan Johnson, who was also criticized at the start of the season – and recently scored in three Premier League games in a row. If Timo Werner’s situation breaks and he manages to achieve a similar turnaround, he could quickly become an issue for the national team again.
dpa/jm
