Chelsea: 3 problems that signing Timo Werner will bring

2. Going against Frank Lampard’s philosophy

There’s no denying that Chelsea owe a large part of their progress this season to young players. At the start of the season, Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount were the focal point to most of Chelsea’s goals and it’s largely down to them that Frank Lampard had such a strong start.

This set the foundation for most of the season as Abraham has kept up with some of the best goal scorers in the league, and has been much more reliable than the backup striker Olivier Giroud. This is what worries me the most about Werner’s signing, what does it mean for Tammy Abraham?

Of course, Chelsea can play both Werner and Abraham together without a sweat, as both are fluid in the frontline. However, it does mean that one is going to have to make a sacrifice by playing as a winger since playing a striker pairing is simply outdated and can be easily defended against.

It also puts Frank Lampard in danger. The appeal is that he focuses on young, homegrown players and this is something that Chelsea have struggled with over the last decade. While Werner is young, he would hinder the chances of many academy players. It’s a risk which Lampard is willing to make, which I respect, however it’s still a risk.