More than any other Chelsea player, Timo Werner is in need of a massive Champions League final.
The 25-year-old German terrorised Bundesliga defences prior to his £47.5million move to Stamford Bridge last summer and, at the time of his arrival, he didn’t half look an astute signing by Frank Lampard.
Ninety-one goals in 212 Bundesliga appearances — 46 of those appearances from the bench — attested to that.
But in his first season in England he managed just six goals in 35 Premier League games and looked more like a man who couldn’t hit a cow’s backside with a banjo than the poster boy for young goal-getters in his homeland.
Werner’s confidence has been eroded these past eight or so months to such an extent that he no longer appears to be playing on instinct.
Instead, he has looked like someone trying too hard to rediscover the touch upon which he made his name with Stuttgart, RB Leipzig and his national team.
How else to explain the number of times he has strayed a long way offside this season?
Granted, Werner moves like you-know-what off a shovel and when a forward plays on the last man’s shoulder there are times he is going to get caught out.
But by VAR-type margins, not several yards, as has been the case with the Chelsea man far too often.
Of course, moving to a new country during a global pandemic can’t have been much fun.
Bonding opportunities with team-mates have been few and far between, with coffees and catch-ups with friends at an even greater premium.
So Werner will have had much more time than usual to think about his game and, whatever industry anyone works in, that’s not good when they are in a negative cycle.
That’s why the Champions League final could ultimately be the making of him, because if he can be the man who makes the difference in Porto then Chelsea’s supporters will be behind him from day one next season and he will have a proper platform on which to build.
If he struggles, though, and then has a miserable Euros with Germany, he is unlikely to relish his return to England and pre-season in July.
Even a good Euros could make life difficult if it serves as a reminder to Werner about what it’s like to be surrounded day to day by compatriots.
What must be noted about Werner’s first season in England is his work-rate and former City defender Micah Richards was quite right to heap praise on that aspect of his game earlier this month.
Speaking on the BBC’s Monday Night Club, he said: “His runs are devastating — I would hate to play against him because he’s relentless.”
The key now for Werner is to become ruthless again, too, and if he can do that then next season Chelsea will have a seriously good player on their hands.
