Karlheinz Forster - the agent of in-bound Chelsea signing Timo Werner - has hit back at those criticising the Germany international for his decision to miss the remainder of RB Leipzig's UEFA Champions League campaign in an attempt to seal a switch to Stamford Bridge early.
After several months of being linked with a move to the Premier League, Chelsea, who marked their return to Premier League action with a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday afternoon, won the race for the striker's signature last week, triggering his release clause.
It was the latest statement of intent from the Blues, following the earlier signing of Hakim Ziyech from Ajax, as they aim to bridge the gap between themselves and the Premier League's title contenders.
Leipzig were hoping that Werner would delay his switch to Stamford Bridge until late August so that he could complete their respective Champions League campaign.
However, Werner, who has scored a combined total of 32 goals in all competitions, has made the decision to not be involved in the remainder of Leipzig's Champions League adventure, which has sparked disappointment from a whole host of people connected with the Bundesliga club.
However, Werner's agent has made the decision to hit back at those who have criticised the 24-year-old's decision to seal a switch to Stamford Bridge before Leipzig had hoped to part with him.
"What annoys me is that Timo is now put in a corner and portrayed as a bad sportsman, who lets his teammates down," Forster told Sport, via the Metro. "I have to disagree with that quite clearly.
"It would have been anything but a good start for Timo at his new club if he had returned to Leipzig after his holidays to prepare for the restart of the Champions League.
"All involved parties – and not just Timo – decided that he will move to Chelsea on 1 July and not in mid or late August."
