Transfer News: Chelsea set ultimatum over selling Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech to Barcelona in January
According to transfer news on Sport (h/t The Express), Chelsea shall wait until the end of the Champions League group stage to make a decision to sell Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner to Barcelona in January.
The duo formed part of the squad that won the competition last season, with both proving pivotal in the knockout stages. They have been important this season too, scoring timely winners in hard-fought victories.
Werner found the net against Southampton and in the League Cup against Aston Villa. Ziyech scored in the UEFA Super Cup final and smashed the recent winner against Watford. However, Thomas Tuchel apparently does not believe they are essential to his team.
Barcelona are looking to seal a deal for the duo, but they shall need to wait a little longer. The Blaugrana club shall need a victory against Bayern Munich or hope that Benfica drop points against Dynamo Kyiv to secure qualification to the Round of 16. If they do so, the Blues shall not sell their attacking duo as they could be direct rivals to us in the knockout stages.
Can we afford to let the duo leave?
Werner and Ziyech were signed under the Frank Lampard regiment last season. The German striker found it hard to find the back of the net for a major part of the season and has more or less struggled this campaign too.
The trajectory for Ziyech has been quite different though. He has performed when called upon, but injuries have ruined the chances of maintaining consistency. However, both players remain integral cogs in our machine.
Our strength in depth is one of the key reasons we have been able to compete successfully on all fronts. The Blues will be competing in five competitions at some point this season if all goes well. The injury trouble to Lukaku was proof enough of how we need other players to step when needed.
More Chelsea News
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Unless we have a plan to replace them, it might not be wise to sell two attacking stars, especially mid-season. This deal does make sense financially, but the hierarchy needs to see the profits in the long-run rather than short-term gains.
