How
strong are Timo Werner and Kai Havertz's Chelsea title ambitions? Did Werner
almost join Liverpool? Pat Davison sat down for a chat with the Blues' new
German arrivals to find out how they're settling in.
How did they find their first introduction to English football? How do they
see the Blues' big-spending summer improving their title ambitions ahead of
Sunday's home game with Liverpool, live on Sky Sports Premier League?
On their careers being intertwined in
Germany...
Havertz: "Maybe a little bit, but he has other qualities than me as a
striker, he's got a lot of goals, more than me, and when we put all our
quality together maybe it could be better than the last few years."
Werner: "Kai has done very well, took a little bit longer because the first
years at Stuttgart was not so good for me, but we're now at the same point,
we want to win titles with Chelsea and I'm happy he's joined us, and come
with me."
On their challenges in early life...
Havertz: "Moving out from my home, at the age of 15, it was very bad for me
and my parents, the whole family and then of course at 17 or 18, I almost
had three or four professional coaches in the space of two years, the years
behind me made me stronger."
On Werner learning more English...
Werner: "In school, in lessons, I did nothing! I never held my hand up or
say anything. But now I have to learn English and speak it, and when you
speak it a lot, you always hear a lot when everyone speaks it you learn the
words quickly."
On their parents' influence...
Havertz: "When I was young, they drove me to every away match, to
tournaments in the Netherlands, Belgium and everywhere. So it's nice to give
them something back now."
Werner: "At home when you are the normal Timo or Kai, you are not the
superstar or the footballer, you can put the football away, put the stress
away and talk about normal things."
On Werner's links with Liverpool...
Werner: "It was for me, the time when I said okay, I want something new, and
it gives nothing new for me to stay in Germany. The best clubs here want me,
and I choose the best club for me."
On the Bundesliga to Premier League
transition...
Havertz: "It's very different, of course, faster, quicker and more
aggressive, and it takes a little bit of time, that's normal. We've moved to
another country, another culture and language, everything is different."
Werner: "The game on Monday, the first game for everybody - it was really
difficult for us to start it, but we won it not playing the best football
but we won. That's an important thing, and I think when you have this team
and they can play together at training, play more games together, we can be
a really good team who can develop in the next months and years and win a
lot of titles.
On looking forward to playing Liverpool...
Werner: "We're all looking forward to this game because not only is it
playing against Liverpool, it'll be our first game at Stamford Bridge so we
are excited for that. It's a good test for us of where we stand, where we
can improve ourselves, where we can do better. We are not here to come
second or third or we could have stayed at Leverkusen or Leipzig. There we
were always third or second!"
Havertz: "We have such a great team with such good players, a great manager,
I think we can achieve everything, but like Timo said, we're here to win
titles, and that is our goal."
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