Timo Werner, The Unsung Hero of Tottenham Hotspur

Ian Park |

Tottenham Hotspur have found themselves in a rollercoaster-esque season following the departure of the club’s greatest-ever player and all-time leading goalscorer, Harry Kane. Initially striking gold with the summer signings of midfielder James Maddison, defender Micky van de Ven, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, and attacker Brennan Johnson, Tottenham experienced a whirlwind of turmoil in the form of injuries and a sub-par run of games, forcing the club to search for reinforcements in the winter transfer window.

Timo Werner, Via Forbes

Amidst UEFA Financial Fair Play drama and a quiet transfer window for most clubs, Tottenham kept themselves busy with transfer activity, including the loan signing of German attacker Timo Werner from RB Leipzig. Deemed an insignificant move for Tottenham by most rival fans and even some Tottenham fans, the ex-Chelsea “flop” would go on to prove everyone wrong and become a prominent name on the team sheet. It's no secret that Ange Postecoglou prioritizes a player’s character above all else. This ideology has been increasingly apparent throughout the season, from his captain and vice-captain selections to the exile and departure of certain players.

"It’s everything to me; one wrong character in the dressing room is a lot of problems, so I will always forsake the quality of a player for the right character,” Postecoglou stated. “I put a lot of stock in that, and there are plenty of deals we have walked away from where I just get that feeling that he doesn’t want to come for the right reasons. It’s the ones where you just see it in them–that nothing is more important than being at the club. When I spoke to Vicario, van de Ven, and Maddison this summer, it was like, ‘I wanna play for Tottenham Hotspur, I want to play for you guys’, and when you hear that in their voice, it’s the best starting point for me."

Timo Werner must have strongly displayed the very character Ange Postecoglou desires in a player during their initial meeting because just three days after the initial reports regarding Tottenham’s interest in the Leipzig attacker, Werner was officially announced as a Tottenham player.

Timo Werner’s character played a huge part in securing his move to North London, but it wasn’t the only factor. The German is widely associated with his blistering and line-breaking speed, a trait Ange Postecoglou values heavily in his attackers. With Manor Solomon’s extended absence and Heung Min Son’s utilization through the middle by Postecoglou this season, Timo Werner’s pace and versatility provide Tottenham with a dangerous and much-needed attacking option on the left.

As for his actual performances, the numbers don’t lie. As of April 18, 2024, per 90 minutes, Timo Werner is in the 97th percentile for progressive carries, the 96th percentile for touches in the opponent’s penalty area, the 95th percentile for assists, and the 94th percentile for expected assists. According to FotMob, he has averaged a 7.14 rating per game for Tottenham since his arrival.

Tottenham’s rebuild has been fast-tracked, yet there are still some missing pieces to the puzzle before Ange Postecoglou’s side can set their sights on greater glory and for just £15m, permanently signing Timo Werner is a crucial and necessary step Tottenham must take. It’s not a flashy, big-name signing, but an effective one, and in the current market and for that price, you won’t get any better than the German.