Here is your Chelsea morning digest for Friday, June 5.
Blues ready to sign Werner
Chelsea are now the front-runners in the race to sign RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner, football.london understands.
Liverpool have also been linked with the German striker, who has scored 25 Bundesliga goals this season, but it appears the Blues have beaten the Premier League leaders.
Sources have told football.london there is a “high probability” that Frank Lampard’s side will activate Werner’s €55m release clause before it expires on June 15.
The Reds last week indicated that they were not willing to trigger the 24-year-old’s clause and it seems Chelsea have now taken advantage of that.
Potential Chelsea XI after signing Werner and Chilwell
With Chelsea seemingly about to sign Werner, and also being linked with Leicester City left-back Ben Chilwell, Lampard could have some brilliant options to choose from next season.
That will of course include Hakim Ziyech, who has signed for the Blues from Ajax, but will not join until the start of next campaign.
Andy Ha has chosen the best possible team Lampard could field next season with these three additions.
4-3-3 formation: GK – Kepa Arrizabalaga, RB – Reece James, CB – Kurt Zouma, CB – Antonio Rudiger, LB – Ben Chilwell, CM – N’Golo Kante, CM – Mateo Kovacic, CAM – Mason Mount, RW – Hakim Ziyech, LW – Christian Pulisic, ST – Timo Werner.
Blues players to gain from Premier League rule change
The Premier League announced on Thursday that it would allow teams to make up to five substitutions, as opposed to the usual three changes permitted.
The decision comes with concerns over the players’ fitness levels after three months of no competitive action.
There are some Chelsea players that could benefit from this rule alteration, though, as Alan Smith writes.
Armando Broja, Tino Anjorin, Michy Batshuayi, Emerson Palmieri and Fikayo Tomori could benefit from these changes and you can read why here.
