Why Timo Werner's $63M Move To Chelsea Is Kept On Hold

Chelsea reportedly are not being able to complete Timo Werner’s move because of the complications the coronavirus pandemic has caused with international travel.

It was earlier reported that Chelsea had beaten the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United to trigger Werner’s $63 million release clause at RB Leipzig.

According to a report in The Athletic, the confirmation over the deal is being withheld by the coronavirus restrictions in Germany and England, where the player is due to go for his medical checkup.

“Delay in the Werner deal is solely down to the practicalities of getting a medical done, @TheAthleticUK has been told. He can't fly to the UK due Bundesliga Covid-19 regulations and Chelsea docs can't fly to Germany because they would have to isolate for 14 days upon return. Chelsea could use German FA doc in the meantime but they're more likely to wait until German season is over on June 27 or quarantine regulations in the UK change,” The Athletic writer and BT Sport pundit Raphael Honigstein wrote on his Twitter account.

According to the latest quarantine rules announced by the U.K. government, all the new arrivals in the country will have to serve a two-week quarantine to prevent further spread of the deadly virus.

Since Bundesliga still has four more rounds of matches left this season, Werner making a trip down to London for the medical test is out of the question.

Meanwhile, if Chelsea doctors fly down to Germany to perform a medical on Werner, they would then not be available when Frank Lampard’s boys return to action in the Premier League next week.

Earlier, Werner was heavily linked with Liverpool and it was understood that Jurgen Klopp was in constant touch with the 24-year-old forward. It was then reported that Klopp had explained Werner why his move to Anfield was not possible this summer and had also asked the German player to wait until next summer.