Football Features

Has Timo Werner done enough to secure Tottenham transfer this summer?

By Will Evans

Published: 15:41, 9 April 2024

Timo Werner’s stock is slowly rising at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

There was little fanfare surrounding the 28-year-old’s arrival in North London, following his January loan switch from RB Leipzig.

But three goal contributions since February have highlighted the value that he can add to Ange Postecoglou’s squad.

With a reported £15 million option to make the deal permanent this summer, should Spurs extend Werner’s stay in N17?

Making an impact

For a player who is often maligned for his lack of potency in the final third, Werner’s overall output at Tottenham is surprisingly impressive.

He is averaging 0.65 goal contributions per 90 across his 693 minutes of Premier League action this term, consisting of 0.26 goals and 0.39 assists per 90 — all from open play.

In fact, only four players in England’s top flight can better his open play assist record per 90 in 2023/24.

And there is no suggestion that this is some kind of unsustainable hot streak, with Werner’s expected assists (xA) of 0.37 falling roughly in line with his actual tally.

A natural goalscorer?

When Werner opened his Tottenham account against Crystal Palace last month, former Premier League frontman Alan Shearer damned the Germany international with faint praise.

Speaking on Match of the Day, he said: “I love his attitude, but he never looks natural in front of goal.”

That is perhaps reflected in the numbers, the Stuttgart native’s 0.26 goals per 90 falling significantly behind his 0.42 expected goals (xG) per match.

Werner’s first spell at RB Leipzig saw him net 78 times in 127 Bundesliga appearances from 2016 to 2020, but there is little evidence to suggest he is set to scale those heights in the Premier League.

All-round game

Werner’s performances for Tottenham have been about more than just goals.

For starters, he has largely operated out wide on the left flank, where he is more likely to be delivering balls into the box than getting on the end of chances.

But he also contributes to his side’s defensive efforts, by winning possession high up the pitch for Postecoglou’s men.

In fact, only Pape Matar Sarr (1.27) and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (1.11) have regained the ball more often in the attacking third than Werner per 90 (1.04) in the Premier League this season.

The on-loan attacker may never be prolific for Spurs, but he certainly looks worthy of a modest outlay when the transfer window re-opens.