Opinion: Timo Werner has laid his Tottenham case out plain and simple

“I love it here” is what Timo Werner told Sky Sports after another impressive display against Nottingham Forest on Sunday evening.

The German has found consistent form on Spurs’ left, recording five goals and assists in 11 Premier League appearances since January (TransferMarkt). Thanks to these performances, his reported buy-option clause worth £15 million (€17 million) (Fabrizio Romano) to make his loan move from RB Leipzig permanent, has many Spurs fans asking why not?  

Werner joined Spurs on a six-month loan from the German outfit early in the January transfer window. It was a move that raised the eyebrows of many, who pointed to the way his Chelsea career ended and the reputation he had built during his first stint in England. But it was an intelligent move for Postecoglou’s side in more ways than one.  

Spurs were light in attacking options, owing especially to the long-term injury of Manor Solomon. This was to be paired with the loss of Son who was set to leave for the Asian Cup. It was clear that Spurs were going to need to bring someone in to keep ranks up. 

The German also fit Postecoglou’s style of play well. You can make comparisons between Werner and Daizen Maeda, who exploded under Ange-ball during his time at Celtic, for example. Both left-sided wingers have the pace to run in behind or take a defender on with the ball at their feet, to get into the box and square it across the face of goal.

Werner hinted at some of this ability in his debut at Old Trafford. He played the pass to set up Rodrigo Bentancur’s equalizer as Spurs drew 2-2 with Manchester United. Since then, he has put in some strong performances when called upon, causing his opposing defenders issues with his lightning-quick darting runs. He also scored a crucial goal to kill the game off in a crunch match against Aston Villa in March.

While his output may be slightly low, there is no denying Werner’s chance-creating ability. The German has garnered an average shots per game of 2.3, just pipped by Son’s average of 2.5 (Who Scored). His average passing success rate of 81.1% per game is superior to both Dejan Kulusevski’s 80.9% and Brennan Johnson’s 75.2% (Who Scored).

Should Tottenham sign Timo Werner this summer?

With all that said, what are the reasons against signing Timo Werner permanently? Many people point to the number of options Spurs could have on the left in the near future.

Manor Solomon continues his recovery and should be available come the start of the next season, we have seen Brennan Johnson’s ability to run the left-hand-side, and of course, Son will always be the first choice on the left wing should Spurs look to sign a new striker this summer.  

Some fans believe Tottenham shouldn’t just sign Werner for the sole reason that his buy-out option is cheap, arguing that Daniel Levy should be more ambitious and spend more money to bring in a certain calibre of player.

I think it is too good of a deal to pass on. Werner has shown consistently the danger he poses in the build-up of chances and is evidently trusted by Postecoglou to carry out his way of playing the game. 

With seven league games yet to play out, Timo Werner’s fate is still undecided.

I believe, as it stands, with the player being happy and performing consistently, along with being well-liked by his teammates and manager, that his move will be made permanent in the summer.

But it is worth noting something that we have all learnt as football fans; a lot can change in such a large number of games. 

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