Timo Werner has opened up on his poor goal record at Chelsea, admitting "I don't know why the fans support me".
Werner arrived at Chelsea from RB Leipzig in 2020 boasting a sterling reputation as one of Europe's most prolific strikers, but a season-and-a-half later has yet to pay back the club's £47.5 million ($65m) investment in his talent.
The 25-year-old has just 18 goals to his name from his first 70 appearances for Chelsea, including a modest total of six so far this season, and he is well aware that he is not delivering the goods on a consistent basis.
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Werner is humbled by the fact the Blues faithful have stuck by him despite his struggles in the final third, as he told Premier League Productions “Sometimes, I even don’t know why they are supporting me so much because, as a striker, you want to score as many goals as possible and sometimes I miss this aim.
“I have to be honest about that, but I think it is a lot of fun to play in front of the Chelsea fans and, when they give you the support like they give it to me, it makes you even stronger when you miss chances or when you have hard times.
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“On the other side, I think I try to give my best every game. I give, every time, 100 per cent and [hope] that, at the end, the fans are happy and also that the team are happy.
“It’s hard to explain, but of course when you go into the stadium and the fans like you, and they support you and they scream your name, it makes it much more fun and makes you more proud than the other way around because I know how it is to go to stadiums and the fans don’t like you and they hate you.
“So, it’s very nice and it’s very, very good to feel it the other way around.”
Werner on Rudiger and Christensen
Werner also addressed the speculation surrounding the future of Chelsea defensive duo Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.
Both men are set to become free agents in June, but Werner remains hopeful that the Blues will be able to tie them down to fresh terms.
"I would be happy if they stay. They can improve every team," he told Sky Sports Germany.
Werner did, however, admit that Rudiger's quality means he could have his pick of potential destinations if he decides to run down his contract.
"He plays incredible. As a free agent he could choose where he goes!" he added.