Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Chelsea player most at risk from Timo Werner's transfer is not Tammy Abraham
Tammy Abraham may not be the Chelsea player most at risk of losing game time due to the arrival of Timo Werner in the summer transfer window.
Timo Werner scores impressive series of goals in Bundesliga
Timo Werner is expected to join Chelsea this summer after the Blues agreed to pay the striker's £53million release clause at RB Leipzig. On paper, the move looks like bad news for Tammy Abraham with the 22-year-old expected to slip down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have been on the hunt for attacking reinforcements to ease the goalscoring burden on Abraham, and Werner is widely expected to immediately nail down a starting berth under Frank Lampard.
However, that does not necessarily mean Abraham will miss out on game time as the possibility of the pair playing together has been raised.
Instead, The Athletic suggest that Christian Pulisic is actually the player most in danger of being marginalised by Werner's arrival.
The USA winger had been set to compete with Callum Hudson-Odoi on the left flank next season, but the pair now find their places under even more threat.
JUST IN: Sports quiz questions and answers: 15 questions for your virtual pub quiz
And with Pedro and Willian both expected to leave Stamford Bridge when their contracts expire this summer, Chelsea are likely to welcome further new arrivals.
Werner is a naturally gifted goalscorer, bagging 31 goals in 41 outings across all competitions so far this season.
But as well as playing through the middle, the German international has the versatility to operate as a left-sided inside forward.
Werner has developed a partnership with target man Yussuf Poulsen at Leipzig, exploiting space created by the Denmark frontman and operating in a deeper role than a traditional striker.
DON'T MISS
How Chelsea could raise £180m through player sales to fund Sancho and Chilwell transfers
The four players Chelsea could sign for under £30m each to get the jump on transfer rivals
How Chelsea could line up after transfer window and beat Liverpool to title
If Lampard follows the example of Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann and deploys Werner in a similar position for Chelsea, that would still leave Abraham with a role to play.
However, Werner on the left would limit the chances of Pulisic and Hudson-Odoi claiming a spot in the starting XI.
Abraham could consider himself unlucky if he does find himself struggling for match action next season, having scored 15 goals in 34 appearances this term.
The 22-year-old averages 3.4 shots per 90 minutes, which is one of the highest ratios in the Premier League, while his hold-up play is also invaluable to the Blues.
Abraham is therefore considered to hold many of the attributes of veteran forward Olivier Giroud, while also possessing greater mobility.
Interestingly, the youngster reportedly did not have any specific conversations with Chelsea about his role in 2020/21 prior to the latest Werner developments.
However, Abraham is yet to sign a new contract at Stamford Bridge with the forward holding out to be paid on par with Hudson-Odoi - who earns £120,000-a-week.
Werner is set to pen a deal worth £170,000-a-week, which could give Abraham addd leverage in negotiations.