Chelsea could have a crucial decision to make over forward Timo Werner next summer.
After joining from RB Leipzig during the 2020 summer transfer window, the German forward failed to hit the heights expected of him at Stamford Bridge.
He hit 12 goals in all competitions during his first season as a Chelsea player - some way below the 34 he plundered during his final campaign in Germany.
His indifferent form saw the Blues enter the market for a big money forward during the recent window with the £98m acquisition of Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku.
The Belgian has adapted to life back in west London almost seamlessly having scored four goals in as many games for the Blues following his return.
Consequently, Werner has been restricted to just one Premier League start this season - that coming in the 3-0 win over Crystal Palace - whilst he has played just nine minutes of league action since then and is yet to open his scoring account for the season.
Now, the German is being linked with a move back to his home country with Sport Bild suggesting that Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund have him on a shortlist as a potential replacement for Erling Haaland - who has conveniently been linked to Chelsea on many occasions.
While it is suggested that the 25-year-old is not necessarily Dortmund’s top priority, Chelsea could certainly receive a big financial boost should they choose to cash in on their interest.
As it stands, Werner is valued at £58.5million by transfermarkt, some way above the reported £48m that Chelsea initially paid out to bring the striker to Stamford Bridge just over a year ago.
Should Chelsea sell for that fee, it means that Werner would become the club’s second-highest sale of all-time - just above the £54million fees that they received for the sales of Diego Costa and Oscar.
Only the record-breaking move of Eden Hazard to Real Madrid in 2019 can top any potential Werner sale at over £100m.
Of course, there would remain questions over Dortmund’s move for Werner; whether Chelsea would actually be able to demand that aforementioned fee even if they chose to sell the German international in the first place.
However, he still has four years left to run on his contract at Stamford Bridge, which leaves the Blues ion a strong bargaining position.
