Befitting a player as fast as Timo Werner, one of the most striking things is the speed with which he moved to Tottenham Hotspur on loan.
Spurs insiders agreed at the start of the transfer window at the weekend, commenting on how unusual it was for them to move so quickly. Things usually get busy in January. Over 12 years, seven of the last ten winter window signings have come on deadline day (or later in Ryan Nelsen's case), with the others on January 29th and 28th.
Yet here was Tottenham on the first weekend in January, agreeing a transfer that means Werner will be eligible to play in Spurs' first league game of 2024 (away to Manchester United on Sunday). Aside from Gedson Fernandes in 2020, the last time Spurs fielded a January signing was Lewis Holtby on January 30, 2013, having signed two days earlier. Now, if Radu Dragusin completes his move from Genoa in the coming days, they could have two at Old Trafford at the weekend.
In the case of Werner, Spurs acted quickly for several reasons. One of them is that Postecoglou has publicly and privately demanded that the club should not hang on this window. And within the Spurs hierarchy there is a desire to give the head coach, who has made such a good start, what he wants.
Technical director Johan Lange was keenly aware of this need for speed and worked to get as much done as possible by January. He was one of the key figures in that deal, along with Postecoglou, who has long admired Werner and is confident the former Chelsea striker can do well in his system. Other recent deals, including ongoing deals such as the pursuit of Dragusin, have seen Fabio Paratici, Spurs' former chief football officer who now works for the club on a consultant basis, play a large role. But that wasn't one of them.
The pace was also driven in part by Spurs' knowledge that other clubs, including Manchester United, were interested in Werner – so there was no time to waste.
Despite Spurs fans' differing opinions on Werner, it was also a deal that was pretty unanimously agreed internally. Postecoglou had suggested other targets, such as winger Jota, who he worked with at Celtic, but it was Werner who ticked most of the boxes.
Werner scored 23 goals in 89 games for Chelsea (James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)
Postecoglou, Lange and his team believe Werner is tactically versatile and adds another option on the left and through the middle – two areas where the squad is thin, especially with Son Heung-min away in the Asian Cup is. Postecoglou has said how much he values versatile, “multi-functional” players, and Werner fits that description.
The reports about Werner's character were also very positive, which is another important factor for Postecoglou when signing players. He believes that at the level at which Spurs operate, the difference in talent between most players is negligible and character is crucial. Werner is considered highly motivated, conscientious and team-oriented.
From a playing perspective, his compatibility with Spurs in the scouting and analysis phase was demonstrated by his pace and extensive experience at RB Leipzig, where he played in a team with a similar style. He has also played in the Premier League and lived in London, which shouldn't mean any major adjustment problems and increases the chance of him getting started.
For an obligation that could represent an emergency solution, it was a prerequisite to be able to set an example immediately; It's just not the time to bring in someone who will take a few months to adjust and won't be ready until the end of the season.
Werner skeptics can point out that he never felt entirely comfortable in the Premier League and endured a poor half of the season in Leipzig. Spurs are aware of this, but believe he could rediscover his best form under Postecoglou's leadership – and if he doesn't, he will still strengthen their attacking options, which have looked very poor at times this season.
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Without wishing to single out players, it is worth remembering that Bryan Gil started in Spurs' toughest game of the season, away to Manchester City, and Postecoglou had Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as his only replacement at half-time. Jamie Donley, then 18, came on as a substitute late in the game to make his Spurs debut.
In this context, one can understand why Tottenham feel they have signed someone who can immediately improve their squad. It's not easy to acquire players in January; There is an element where the targets must be disgraced in order to be allowed to leave the country. Either they cost a lot of money, often because of excessive fees because the selling club knows the buyer's desperation.
In the Werner discussions, Tottenham were confident that they or any of their rivals would find it difficult to find someone of the German's caliber and experience for the type of deal they did. The risk is relatively low as there is an option to buy at the end of the loan term (for around £15.5m) but no obligation.
Werner also has the added motivation of winning his place in the German squad in time for Euro 2024, which will be played in his home country, for a team managed by Julian Nagelsmann, the coach who got the best of Werner during the Euros in Leipzig The striker scored 28 Bundesliga goals in the 2019-20 season. He also scored four Champions League goals this season – one of which was a penalty against Jose Mourinho's Spurs at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the round of 16 – as Leipzig reached the semi-finals. Over the course of his career, Werner has scored 17 goals in 43 Champions League games – a similar record to Son's 19 from 55.
Werner scores for Chelsea at Real Madrid in April 2022 (Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
Since Spurs' decision-makers agreed that the signing made sense, it wasn't much of a challenge to convince Leipzig and Werner. The player has fallen out of favor and has only started two Bundesliga games this season, so Leipzig were happy to let him go and no longer be burdened with his salary.
Werner is excited about the chance to revive his career and was impressed by what he heard from Postecoglou about his style of play and the role he sees for the new signing.
Leipzig technical director Mario Gomez explained why the deal came together so quickly when he said on Monday: “It's a win-win situation for everyone.”
He added: “Germany benefits from this. We benefit from that because we get a player going. He will play regularly; That’s what Tottenham gave us.”
The thought of a 'win-win' signing might make some Tottenham fans a little uneasy – generally speaking, you would prefer a selling club to be disappointed at losing the player who wants to join your club.
But that's the situation, which is why it was a relatively straightforward deal. Now it's up to Postecoglou to show once again how adept he is at getting the best out of players others have written off.
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(Top photo: Maja Hitij/Getty Images)