Five ways Chelsea could line up with Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech as Blues agree £54m transfer for RB Leipzig striker
CHELSEA fans will be licking their lips at the prospect of both Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner lining up at Stamford Bridge next season. The Blues sealed a £38million deal for Ajax winger Ziyech earlier in the year for him to join his new team-mates in the summer. And now the club have announced they […]
CHELSEA fans will be licking their lips at the prospect of both Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner lining up at Stamford Bridge next season.
The Blues sealed a £38million deal for Ajax winger Ziyech earlier in the year for him to join his new team-mates in the summer.
And now the club have announced they have agreed a deal to sign RB Leipzig striker Werner.
He has penned a deal in West London worth around £170,000 a week, making him their top earner.
Boss Frank Lampard will undoubtedly be delighted to get to work with the pair, especially after Liverpool were heavily linked with German Werner.
SunSport looks at the various ways Lampard could fit both players into his line-up…
1. 4-3-3
Lampard has generally opted for a 4-3-3 in his first season in charge and could go for a back five of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Reece James, Kurt Zouma, Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta.
That would then lay the foundations for a midfield three of N’Golo Kante and Mason Mount either side of Jorginho.
And then new boys Ziyech and Werner could cut in off the flanks – as they have done for much of the season at Ajax and RB Leipzig respectively – with No9 Tammy Abraham retaining his spot through the middle.
2. 3-4-3
The Blues have often mixed it up and shown their adaptability by switching to a back three, even during some matches.
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That would allow for a back three of Azpilicueta, Rudiger and then possibly Fikayo Tomori with James and Marcos Alonso as wing-backs – although Ben Chilwell remains a target.
Kante and Jorginho could provide the energy and class in the middle and unleash a devastatingly-quick front three of Ziyech, Werner as the central striker and Christian Pulisic.
3. 4-2-3-1
With the same back five, Lampard may opt for a midfield base of Kante and Jorginho – although he also likes Mateo Kovacic and youngster Billy Gilmour proved he is more than capable.
In front of them, Ziyech could play on the right, Callum Hudson-Odoi on his favoured left-hand side and Mount as the creative No10 – Ziyech could also be moved inside to make room for Pulisic.
Werner would play up top on his own, hoping to use his lightning pace to get in behind, with the others providing support – this could be particularly effective in those tricky away games where the Blues see less of the ball.
4. 3-5-2
Another option to use the three-man defence would be as a 3-5-2, with James one wing-back and Ziyech dropped in as another.
Kante, Jorginho and Mount could pack out the midfield with the Englishman pushing further ahead to be the link man between the midfield and the strikers.
And that attack could be made up of Abraham and Werner, who have 46 goals between them this season, operating as a pair in what would be a deadly duo.
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5. 4-4-2
Finally, and it may not quite be what Lampard has done too often in the past, Chelsea could go with a traditional 4-4-2.
Again using the same defence – although of course Tomori, Andreas Christensen, Emerson or Alonso could come in – Jorginho and Kante would be the men in the middle.
Ziyech would probably prefer to go on the right with either Hudson-Odoi or Pulisic on the other side with once again Abraham and Werner leading the line together.
