For Chelsea duo Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, it’s been a challenging season. Much was expected of the two Germans when they arrived at Stamford Bridge last summer, but it’s fair to say that it didn’t really happen for either player during the 2020-21 campaign. A combined 10 Premier League goals was not the return Chelsea’s hierarchy would have expected from the pair, and both will have much to prove next season.
There was some form of redemption for Havertz, who notched the winning goal in the Champions League final to defeat Manchester City and hand Chelsea their second European Cup. It’s moments like that that endear a player to supporters, and Havertz may well have gained the impetus to be a key player for Chelsea next term. Werner has been getting in some great positions throughout the campaign, and with a bit more luck he could be an important figure next season as well.
Of course, before they take another crack at English football with Chelsea, there is a small matter of this summer’s European Championships, where both men have a great opportunity to restore their reputations as two of Europe’s top attacking talents. Both have been included in Joachim Löw’s 26-man Germany squad for the finals, and it’s a chance to strut their stuff on the biggest international stage, with the two players outside bets in the Euro player of the tournament odds.
Werner has a decent record for Germany, with 15 goals from 38 caps, and although he struggled at the 2018 World Cup, the motivation of proving his doubters wrong by firing his country to glory at Euro 2020 will be significant. He’ll have competition for a starting berth from players like Kevin Volland and Thomas Müller, the latter having been recalled to the squad after a period away from Germany’s international setup.
Havertz is a player who Löw clearly admires, and there have been glimpses in the latter stages of the season that he can perform to the levels Chelsea fans expected of him when he came through the doors at Stamford Bridge. If he can link up well with players like Toni Kroos and Serge Gnabry, he could be a force to reckon with at the Euros.
Germany find themselves in about as difficult a group as they could have got, with tournament favourites France, Euro 2016 winners Portugal, and Hungary making up their opponents. It’ll be a tough ask, not only to top to group, but to qualify for the last 16 at all, but it’s these kinds of difficult situations that often bring the best out of players.
For Werner and Havertz, they couldn’t ask for a better opportunity to showcase their talents in high-profile matches against extremely difficult opponents. We’ve seen in the past how a strong showing from a player at a major international tournament can yield improvement in their club form, and Chelsea will be hoping that proves to be the case for their German stars.
It’s fair to say that we are yet to see the best of Werner and Havertz in England, but if they can register some strong showings at the European Championships, and come back to Stamford Bridge brimming with confidence, great things could be in the offing.