Timo Werner &#8211; CaughtOffside

Mikel Arteta confirms Arsenal star with four appearances will start vs Brentford

West Ham open to selling 27-year-old ace for just £12m

Mikel Arteta says he wants defender “respected by everybody” to stay at Arsenal amid Bayern links

That hasn’t quite been the case though. The 27-year-old is struggling for game time and ahead of next summer’s Euros 2024 in Germany, the striker is understandably keen to secure more minutes.

That’s where a loan switch back to London could come in.

Palace and Fulham’s striking problems need little introduction and after failing to replace Gianluca Scamacca, who joined Atalanta six months ago, nor does the Hammers’.

This three horse race could be January’s most exciting saga.

The post £50 million striker set to make Premier League return with West Ham appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Fulham considering pursuing Timo Werner loan deal

Andrew Walker — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 16:06:26 +0000

Fulham will prioritise a new striker in January.

The Cottagers are among the Premier League’s lowest-scoring teams following Aleksandar Mitrovic’s lucrative transfer to Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal in the summer.

And understandably eager to replace the Serbia international’s output, which included 14 Premier League goals last season, Marco Silva, according to recent reports, has already begun drawing up his shortlist.

More Stories / Latest News

Mikel Arteta confirms Arsenal star with four appearances will start vs Brentford

West Ham open to selling 27-year-old ace for just £12m

Mikel Arteta says he wants defender “respected by everybody” to stay at Arsenal amid Bayern links

And according to Football Insider, among the Fulham boss’ mid-season options are RB Leipzig and Germany forward Timo Werner.

Although a move for the German remains unlikely due to his wages, which are thought to be around £150,000-per week, a possible loan deal has not been ruled out.

During his second spell at Leipzig, Werner, who re-joined the club from Chelsea 18 months ago, has scored 18 goals and provided seven assists in 53 games in all competitions.

Other targets reported to be on Silva’s shortlist include Club Brugge striker Antonio Nusa, who has also been heavily linked with a January transfer to Chelsea

The post Fulham considering pursuing Timo Werner loan deal appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Badiashile truth, Arsenal’s difficult deal, Toney surprise and more – exclusive Fabrizio Romano transfer news column

Fabrizio Romano — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 19:00:00 +0000

This article was originally published on Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive articles via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

—

Real Madrid’s bad luck with injuries continues

Real Madrid have been really unlucky with injuries this season. We know what happened with Courtois and Militao in the summer, and then there is the situation with Arda Güler. Now two more players have picked up injuries whilst on international duty and are going to be out for some time.

Eduardo Camavinga has a knee injury and will be out till the end of 2023. The hope is he’ll be available in January for the Super Cup against Atlético Madrid. Vinicius Jr. was injured whilst playing with Brazil against Colombia. Now there is a waiting game for a final decision, in order for everyone to understand how bad the problem is and how long Vinicius will be out of action for.

Real Madrid’s position at the moment is not to be hasty and do anything in the January transfer window. Unless anything changes and perhaps Vinicius Jr’s injury is worse than first thought, Madrid will stay with the same team to the end of the season and then do something in the summer.

Douglas Luiz remains Arsenal’s top target

It’s also important to mention guys that injuries are not helping Arsenal either, with Thomas Partey’s situation ensuring that Arsenal will still look at midfielders in the January transfer window.

I mentioned the name of Douglas Luiz last week as the top target for Arsenal, and I can confirm guys that Arsenal really, really want and appreciate Douglas Luiz. He’s a player they’ve had on their list for more than two years, and Arsenal consider him the perfect midfielder for their way of playing, for his intensity and for the quality he can bring. So many different factors make him top of the list for Arsenal now.

The problem remains that Aston Villa have no intention to let him go in January, so it’s going to be really difficult. It will take a really important proposal to tempt Aston Villa, so something not easy at all. But, for sure, Douglas Luiz is in Arsenal’s list and is a midfielder for the present and the future. Let’s see if they will be able to make it happen in January or they have to look at another solution in midfield.

Badiashile is definitely staying at Chelsea despite Milan rumours

Also guys, in the Italian press we’ve had some rumours about Benoît Badiashile and AC Milan over a potential January move. Guys, what I’m hearing is that the only centre-back expected to leave Chelsea is still Trevoh Chalobah. Chelsea invested big money last year in Badiashile, so letting him go on the cheap is something that they’re absolutely not considering.

It’s true that Milan appreciate the player but at the moment for Chelsea the idea is very clear; the only player leaving in January is Trevoh Chalobah. Chelsea are looking for a centre-back but Badiashile is absolutely part of Chelsea’s plans. For Milan, they would have to spend €35m-€45m and that’s something in January that they can’t and won’t do.

More Stories / Latest News

Mikel Arteta says he wants defender “respected by everybody” to stay at Arsenal amid Bayern links

Nov 24 2023, 12:19

Mikel Arteta confirms Arsenal star with four appearances will start vs Brentford

Nov 24 2023, 11:56

West Ham open to selling 27-year-old ace for just £12m

Nov 24 2023, 11:53

In other news…

Ivan Toney – Brentford will try any way to keep Ivan Toney in January and then sell him in the summer. It’s still not clear if this will be possible but they will try. I’m not aware of any precise info on release clauses and a new deal with Brentford as of today. As of now, there is only interest from Arsenal and Chelsea, still no concrete negotiations.

Timo Werner – Despite rumours, I have to say no, honestly, I didn’t hear that he’s being offered to other clubs. Some Premier League clubs have asked about his situation as it’s not an easy time for him at Leipzig, but I don’t have any confirmation yet on club names as it’s purely early stages, nothing concrete yet.

Man United – Paul Mitchell remains the favourite for the sporting director post, yes. There are more candidates in the frame but Mitchell has always been the first choice since day one. The announcement is expected next week, then they will make a final decision on a new director.

Marcos Leonardo – He will leave Santos in January and the price could be around €20m, but it’s a complicated package that could include add-ons, percentage on future sale etc. Roma wanted him last August but they had three bids rejected, and now it’s a very open race.

Barcelona – Barça are 100% behind Xavi at this stage, nothing has changed. They all support the manager and trust him for the present and future project. Also he extended his contract just a few weeks ago.

Albert Gudmunsson – I’m not mentioning specific clubs as it’d be disrespectful on the day he signs a new deal at Genoa, but also there’s really nothing now – just scouting activity. Clubs from the Premier League and Bundesliga have sent their people many times to follow him, and his new deal at Genoa is to help them to get good money on any future sale – as well as giving him a bigger salary.

The post Badiashile truth, Arsenal’s difficult deal, Toney surprise and more – exclusive Fabrizio Romano transfer news column appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Premier League side will find it hard to sign former Chelsea flop in January

Darren Looney — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 16:49:25 +0000

Premier League outfit Fulham have been linked with a move for RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner but the West London club will find it hard to sign the former Chelsea star in January.

Marco Silva is on the lookout for a new striker during the winter window and the German star could be a possible option as he is out of favour at Leipzig.

The 27-year-old has started just two out of a possible 11 Bundesliga games this season and is clearly down Marco Rose’s pecking order.

This has caught the attention of Fulham but according to Football Insider, the Cottagers are likely to pursue other options in January due to the money involved in any potential deal.

Timo Werner is wanted by Fulham

The report states that Werner is on wages in excess of £150,000-a-week at Leipzig and that is a figure Fulham cannot afford. The Bundesliga side would have to contribute heavily to any potential loan deal in order to make it happen.

A straight loan with subsidised wages would interest Fulham but other options are more attractive at present.

More Stories / Latest News

Mikel Arteta confirms Arsenal star with four appearances will start vs Brentford

West Ham open to selling 27-year-old ace for just £12m

Mikel Arteta says he wants defender “respected by everybody” to stay at Arsenal amid Bayern links

Werner has already had a spell in England with Fulham’s rivals Chelsea and it is fair to say the German forward flopped massively at Stamford Bridge.

The 27-year-old returned to Leipzig in the hope of rediscovering the form he showed at the German club during his first spell but that has not worked out either as the former Blues star has a crucial decision regarding his career ahead of him.

The post Premier League side will find it hard to sign former Chelsea flop in January appeared first on CaughtOffside.

‘Not an easy time’ – Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive update on Timo Werner’s potential Premier League return

Jason Pettigrove — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 09:01:49 +0000

Things have really gone from bad to worse for Timo Werner at RB Leipzig, the former Chelsea forward enduring a nightmare in the 2023/24 season.

WhoScored note he has just two goals across the whole campaign so far, and his place at RB Leipzig this season has often been taken by the likes of Benjamin Sesko and even Xavi Simons.

The only realistic option for the former Chelsea flop, now 27 years of age, is a move away, and as 90Min note, he has apparently been offered to the Premier League and that Fulham, Crystal Palace and West Ham are interested in his services.

However, that information doesn’t tally with that of transfer expert and CaughtOffside columnist, Fabrizio Romano.

“Despite rumours, I have to say no, honestly, I didn’t hear that he’s being offered to other clubs,” he said when speaking to CaughtOffside for his exclusive Daily Briefing column.

“Some Premier League clubs have asked about his situation as it’s not an easy time for him at Leipzig, but I don’t have any confirmation yet on club names as it’s purely early stages, nothing concrete yet.”

Of course, things can and often do change, and if Werner wants to kick-start his fading career, then leaving Leipzig would appear to be the only option available to him at this moment.

Seemingly devoid of confidence in front of goal, the German international needs to find a club where his skill set is perfectly complimentary to that which said club already has in situ.

One of the most natural and feared goal scorers when he was at Leipzig first time around, things have gradually got worse for Werner.

However, he’s still got plenty of time to reverse the narrative.

The post ‘Not an easy time’ – Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive update on Timo Werner’s potential Premier League return appeared first on CaughtOffside.

West Ham face competition for Chelsea flop in the transfer window

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 08:40:05 +0000

Ahead of the January transfer window, West Ham like many clubs across Europe will be assessing the options, and it appears that a former Chelsea flop could be of interest to the Irons.

One area where the Hammers have struggled this season is up front. Their total of 21 Premier League goals scored in 13 games is the second worst of the top 10 teams in the English top-flight.

Most of those goals have come from midfield as the club’s two main strikers, Michail Antonio and Danny Ings, have managed just two between them all season – both from Antonio – according to WhoScored.

Whether or not they make it to the knockout stages of the Europa League, it’s abundantly clear that David Moyes needs to bring in a striker with proven pedigree to help West Ham attack the second half of the campaign.

David Moyes needs a striker with a proven pedigree at West Ham

To that end, it makes no sense as to why they’ve a watching brief on Chelsea flop and current RB Leipzig man, Timo Werner.

The 27-year-old has managed a paltry two goals in 234 minutes of action this season per WhoScored – hardly likely to enthuse the London Stadium faithful.

90Min suggest that London rivals Crystal Palace and Fulham are both interested in a loan for a player that has, apparently, been hawked around to a number of Premier League sides.

West Ham’s interest hasn’t stretched that far – yet, though European football could swing any deal for them if and when Werner becomes available and assuming the east Londoners want to get a deal done.

The post West Ham face competition for Chelsea flop in the transfer window appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Arsenal links with Neves & Brandt, plus Ramsdale update, Man Utd scout wonderkid – exclusive

Fabrizio Romano — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 19:30:00 +0000

Thoughts on those Aaron Ramsdale comments and updates on other Arsenal targets

Comments made by Aaron Ramsdale’s father on the Highbury Squad podcast have attracted a lot of attention. Nick Ramsdale made it clear his son has lost his smile since being replaced with David Raya by Mikel Arteta, but I think this is a normal response from the player’s father – it’s not his agent, it’s not something that points towards any negotiations or efforts to leave Arsenal.

He obviously wants to see Aaron happy but right now it’s a difficult moment. Still, my understanding remains the same as earlier this week – Ramsdale wants to fight for his place at Arsenal, at the moment there are no negotiations with any other club – also because the goalkeepers market is very quiet, with big goalkeeper moves often relying on a domino effect which is not as active in the middle of the season.

Elsewhere with Arsenal, we’re seeing some surprise links with a loan move for Ruben Neves at Al Hilal. He’s mainly been linked with Newcastle, who appreciate the player, but there is also historical interest from Mikel Arteta – he has always liked Neves, but there are no negotiations at the moment.

Some of you have also been asking me about other Arsenal transfer rumours we’ve seen – Julian Brandt has been linked again and I’m aware that they had some interest in him two years ago, but I’ve heard nothing since then. Ferdi Kadioglu is another name doing the rounds, but again I’m afraid I’m not aware of anything concrete happening there, even if he’s a very good talent who looks ready for important clubs.

Strange situation surrounding Nico Williams

We saw some interesting words from the agent of Nico Williams. The Athletic Bilbao star is one of the most talented wingers around Europe with his pace and his ability to score and assist, and we’ve unsurprisingly seen him linked with some big clubs because I think he’s a really underrated talent with big potential.

So what’s the situation? His agent Felix Tainta has made it clear that his client doesn’t want to leave on a free transfer, but at the moment they are yet to receive a contract proposal from Athletic Bilbao.

It’s November, almost December, and nothing is agreed, so it’s a dangerous situation for Athletic and they have to be fast. Williams is out of contract at the end of the season and in January he can agree a deal for next season as a free agent. The idea was to continue on a long-term contract with a release clause of €50m, so let’s see what happens there.

Williams himself has also spoken about his situation, and said that if you’re being linked with clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona then it means you’re doing something right, but he wants to continue with his current club. It’s important to mention two things, though, because from what I’m hearing Real Madrid and Barcelona have sent their scouts to follow the player, but as of yet no one has sent a formal proposal – they know his priority is to stay at Athletic, so let’s see what happens there.

Chelsea also had Williams on their list in the summer – their priority target was Cole Palmer, but when he was not yet available and not yet given the green light from Manchester City, Williams was one of the players they secretly considered at the club. Then nothing happened because Chelsea wanted to go for Palmer and they are very happy.

More Stories / Latest News

Mikel Arteta confirms Arsenal star with four appearances will start vs Brentford

West Ham open to selling 27-year-old ace for just £12m

https://giant.gfycat.com/SlipperyAdmiredAnkolewatusi.mp4

Aston Villa could be another name to watch – Unai Emery would love to have him, but in the summer it was impossible to make it happen. Let’s see if his contract situation means it’s a different story next summer, but it is important to remember that he doesn’t want to betray Athletic by leaving on a free. So it’s up to the club and their proposal now.

Joao Neves scouted by Manchester United and other top clubs

Benfica are always producing talents and Joao Neves is another one – born in 2004, the midfielder is doing fantastic for them right now, particularly against Sporting Lisbon in their last game. He’s already a crucial player for them and a top talent, and we’ve seen him linked with top clubs in recent months.

What I can mention today is that Manchester United sent their scouts to watch Neves in the game against Sporting. They want to keep an eye on his progress and development, so this could be one to watch for the future. Many clubs are keeping an eye on him, but I can confirm that Man United are one of them.

What will happen next will depend on several factors like the ownership, the manager, the directors who are likely to change in the next weeks with Sir Jim Ratcliffe incoming … many changes are likely at United, but the scouting department are keeping a close eye on Neves.

Staying with Man United, I’ve had some fans asking me about reports linking them with an interest in a winger and a right-back this January, but that’s not the information I have. As I recently said, I’m told their priority for 2024 is a centre-back, and in my opinion they’re already well covered at right-back with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot.

In other news…

Walter Mazzarri – We’ve had a big change in Italian football and also one that could have an impact in the Champions League as Napoli have fired Rudi Garcia as manager and brought Walter Mazzarri back to the club. After ten years, and spells with clubs like Inter Milan and Watford, Mazzarri is back at Napoli in a role until the end of the season.

Timo Werner – Despite some hints from RB Leipzig, there’s still no firm decision made on Werner’s future. His exit could be a possibility but it’s not a guaranteed decision, it will take some time before RB Leipzig decide their plans; also, Emil Forsberg is leaving the club for New York Red Bulls, so they don’t want to lose too many players.

Samuel Iling-Junior – I’m aware there have been some links with Tottenham and Samuel Iling-Junior. My understanding is that there are many English clubs monitoring Samuel, but it’s just about scouting and nothing else so far. It will depend on Juventus’ decision and they’ve not made any internal decision on his future yet.

The post Arsenal links with Neves & Brandt, plus Ramsdale update, Man Utd scout wonderkid – exclusive appeared first on CaughtOffside.

(Video) Timo Werner heads in opener vs Celtic from ridiculously tight angle

Andrew Walker — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 20:50:50 +0000

Timo Werner has headed RB Leipzig into a second-half lead against Celtic during tonight’s latest round of Champions League group games.

The German forward managed to guide a seemingly impossible-to-convert cross into the back of the Hoops’ net after 75 minutes.

Check out the moment the former Chelsea striker netted below with pictures courtesy of BeIN Sports.

MORE: Sir Jim Ratcliffe rules out Man United takeover and opens up on Glazers’ personality

More Stories / Latest News

Mikel Arteta says he wants defender “respected by everybody” to stay at Arsenal amid Bayern links

Mikel Arteta confirms Arsenal star with four appearances will start vs Brentford

West Ham open to selling 27-year-old ace for just £12m

Mikel Arteta says he wants defender “respected by everybody” to stay at Arsenal amid Bayern links

Midfielder Emile Forsberg has since doubled the German’s lead and should the Bundesliga giants go on to take all three points, Group F will be finely poised.

As it currently stands with two games to go, Real Madrid sit top on nine points, Shakhtar Donetsk are in second on seven points with RB Leipzig narrowly down in third on six points.

The post (Video) Timo Werner heads in opener vs Celtic from ridiculously tight angle appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Opinion: Shambolic transfer record is behind Chelsea’s poor start but Tuchel has to take responsibility too

Mark Brus — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 08:25:33 +0000

Chelsea have already lost three games this season, and Thomas Tuchel’s mood could not be clearer after yesterday’s latest setback against Dinamo Zagreb.

“We are clearly not there, where we need to be and where we can be. At the moment, everything is missing,” Tuchel said after last night’s game, as quoted by BBC Sport, but how can this be after such a huge summer of investment in the transfer market?

The unfortunate answer for Chelsea is that, for all the money spent this summer, their signings look to have been poorly thought out, while decisions in other recent transfer windows have proven pretty shambolic too.

Looking at this summer, it’s clear a replacement for Romelu Lukaku would be needed pretty much straight away, and yet the club’s only solution to that glaring problem was the Deadline Day arrival of 33-year-old Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Such was Chelsea’s desperation, that he was rushed into Tuchel’s starting line up last night despite looking badly off the pace and still playing in a protective mask after the jaw injury, and not to mention emotional trauma, of the recent assault that took place in his home as he was burgled in Barcelona.

Elsewhere in the squad, sanctions on Roman Abramovich meant that Chelsea couldn’t offer a new contract to Antonio Rudiger, allowing him to leave for Real Madrid on a free. Andreas Christensen was also a free agent, and while he was perhaps less of a major loss, it still left the Blues well short of options at the back. Wesley Fofana looks a genuinely exciting purchase, and easily the club’s best signing this summer, but has arrived late on, without getting the pre-season he could have done with under Tuchel. Kalidou Koulibaly, meanwhile, has not looked convincing, and it’s hardly surprising – this is, after all, a 31-year-old who has spent the bulk of his career in Serie A and who now looks to be past his peak whilst being asked to step up to a far more fast-paced and competitive league.

Kalidou Koulibaly hasn’t made the best start to life at Chelsea

Of course, it’s clear that Koulibaly, and perhaps even Fofana, were not Chelsea’s first choice in defence. CaughtOffside understands the Blues wanted Jules Kounde first, and also held talks over Nathan Ake, while Presnel Kimpembe was another option considered; for one reason or another, these deals weren’t possible, and Koulibaly was, at best, Plan D for the west London giants.

Similarly, we saw Denis Zakaria targeted in literally the final hours of the transfer window despite him not previously being on Chelsea’s agenda at all. Edson Alvarez of Ajax was the club’s preferred target and will be on their agenda again in January, according to the Evening Standard, so once again we’ve seen the club move rather rashly for a player they didn’t particularly want, and who doesn’t look a whole lot better than what they already have in that position.

New owner Todd Boehly has, admittedly, inherited a difficult situation after buying Chelsea from Abramovich – with the previous owner, Marina Granovskaia also left Stamford Bridge, and a new sporting director is yet to be appointed, leaving Boehly to do much of the club’s work in the transfer market; while the money is clearly not a major issue, the old expertise in terms of talent-spotting and negotiating skills of Granovskaia seems to be.

That said, many of these problems in the transfer market pre-date Boehly as well, and this is where Tuchel perhaps needs to take a share of the blame for failing to get the best out of the squad he’s been given. Last summer’s big-money move for Romelu Lukaku was a disaster, especially when combined with the sale of Tammy Abraham, who has been reborn at Roma to look precisely like the number 9 this team so badly needs. You could also be forgiven for forgetting all about that loan move for Saul Niguez, such was his total lack of impact.

More Stories / Latest News

Mikel Arteta confirms Arsenal star with four appearances will start vs Brentford

West Ham open to selling 27-year-old ace for just £12m

Mikel Arteta says he wants defender “respected by everybody” to stay at Arsenal amid Bayern links

Of course, Lukaku did himself no favours with that infamous interview to Sky Italia, but he’s clearly a world class forward whose skills were overlooked by his manager at Chelsea. Having shone as part of a front two at Inter Milan, showing some of the best form of his career, he was far too isolated at Chelsea, who have never really been an attacking force under their current head coach.

Tuchel made Chelsea far more organised and disciplined after taking over from Frank Lampard in January 2021, and it led to a stunning Champions League final victory in his first few months in charge. However, with that triumph has come increased expectations, and the quality to the team’s attacking play simply isn’t there in comparison to the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City.

? EXCLUSIVE ?

Man Utd & Chelsea will continue to monitor Frenkie de Jong's situation after both pushing hard to sign him this summer ??

Full story ??

— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) September 6, 2022

Lukaku is just one of many examples – Timo Werner also never showed what he’s truly capable of in a Chelsea shirt, Kai Havertz is an elite talent who has gone backwards, so too is Christian Pulisic, and the quality and vision of Hakim Ziyech hasn’t been made full use of. Raheem Sterling could end up being a fine signing, but at the moment he’s completely the wrong fit in this very different style of play from what he’ll have been used to at Manchester City.

According to the Telegraph, Boehly views Tuchel as one of Chelsea’s biggest assets, but one wonders if he might be starting to rethink that soon. Yes, he needs a sporting director to help him with transfers, but after so much investment he could also expect more from Tuchel than a 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb with little in the way of answers afterwards.

The post Opinion: Shambolic transfer record is behind Chelsea’s poor start but Tuchel has to take responsibility too appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Man United made late attempt for Chelsea star before recent move abroad

Darren Looney — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 10:59:20 +0000

Manchester United made a last-minute attempt to sign Chelsea’s Timo Werner before he re-joined RB Leipzig this week.

The German forward has returned to his homeland after Leipzig paid Chelsea £25.3m for his services after an underwhelming spell at Stamford Bridge, reported Sky Sports.

The Blues signed Werner off the back of a season where he scored 34 goals and assisted a further 13 but the 26-year-old only managed to contribute 23 goals and 21 assists in 89 games for the London club over the last two seasons.

The German was not in Thomas Tuchel’s plans for the season and therefore the Chelsea boss decided it was ok for his countryman to leave the London club, however, it has now been revealed that Man United made a last-minute attempt to sign Werner before he re-joined Leipzig, reports Manchester Evening News.

? Manchester United made a last-minute attempt to sign Timo Werner before he rejoined RB Leipzig for £25m.

(Source: MEN) pic.twitter.com/mOG2hrma9u

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) August 12, 2022

More Stories / Latest News

Mikel Arteta confirms Arsenal star with four appearances will start vs Brentford

West Ham open to selling 27-year-old ace for just £12m