Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl believes Chelsea-linked striker Timo Werner would suit Premier League’s “intense and fast” football.
The 24-year-old is reportedly close to joining Chelsea after reports claiming he has agreed to a five-year deal with the Blues.
Although he has impressively raked 31 goals in all competitions for RB Leipzig this season so far, there is no guarantee that he would be able to replicate those numbers in a different league such as Premier League.
However, Southampton manager who coached Werner at Leipzig from 2016 to 2018 argued that the striker would enjoy the Premier League’s intensity.
He told German outlet SportBild: “Football [in England] is very intense and fast.
“That, in turn, suits Timo: with his speed, he’s a brutal weapon in the right team.
“He sometimes needs a shoulder to lean on, or a little more encouragement but what I’ve always liked about him is that he scores goals that nobody else scores.
“Give him a bit of space and it’s hard to stop him. He has so many qualities that will always put him above others.”
Previously, Hasenhuttl also spoke about seeing improvements in Werner since the two worked together.
He told beIN Sports (as quoted by the Metro): “I had the honour to work with him for two years; it was a fantastic time especially the first year he had a fantastic season I think he scored 24 goals in the season for me.”
Hasenhuttl thinks that while he has always known Werner has pace and finishing, the Germany international has also improved his qualities “with his back to the goal and playing for the team”.
“I think he’s absolutely a strength for any team in Europe,” he added.
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