Antonio Rudiger says he will be in big trouble with Chelsea if Timo Werner flops at Stamford Bridge after he played an important role in convincing the striker to complete a move from Leipzig.
The 24-year-old looked destined to join Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool but the financial uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic saw the Reds pull out of a summer move.
This cleared the path for Chelsea to sign the forward and Frank Lampard was in constant contact with the German before the club’s official announcement this month.
Rudiger, who has played with Werner at both the club and international level with Stuttgart and Germany, also spoke regularly with the player before his £53m move.
‘Chelsea asked me for an assessment,’ the defender told Sport Bild. ‘I have known Timo for a long time. I made a clear recommendation to do everything possible to get him.
‘From the next season on he will have to deliver, otherwise I will get in trouble with the club afterwards.’
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But, Rudiger is confident Werner’s pace and ability will make him a huge threat in the Premier League, especially when the blues are on the counter-attack against weaker opposition sides.
‘Although he is not a classic penalty area striker, he has a certain robustness well suited to the toughness of English football,’ Rudiger added.
‘Counter-attacking may have been more difficult for him at Bayern Munich or with a top Italian team, who are always dealing with opponents who sit very deep.
‘Even outside the group of top clubs, many teams try to play positive and attacking football against us. This will give him the space he needs and hopefully he can use it as much as he did at Leipzig.’
