Chelsea striker Timo Werner has admitted the Premier League is tougher than he expected and he is struggling to adapt to the demands of the English top flight, after suffering a poor run of form in front of goal.
The Blues forked out £47.5m to sign the 24-year-old from RB Leipzig, who was coming off the back of his best season as a professional. He hit 28 league goals is 34 matches for the German outfit, attracting the attention of both Liverpool and new club Chelsea.
It was Frank Lampard's side that lured him to the Premier League, but little has gone right for the Germany international since landing his big move. Werner has underperformed for the Blues, managing only four goals in the league, and has blanked in his last eight matches in all competitions.
Speaking on his acclimatisation to his new surroundings, Werner admitted that although he thrives under the pressure of arriving as a new star, English football is 'tougher' than he initially anticipated, as cited by Sky Sports.
He said: "It does matter how much you cost. It's always a bit of pressure when you come to a new club. But I think I can handle it very well. It's not something new.
"The pressure is a little bit higher than the previous years but I think good footballers are the best under pressure and that's my plan, I can do very well under pressure.
"The Premier League is a little bit different to my old league. It's tougher than I thought. The contact here is harder than in Germany, it's what I expected but not like this."
Werner also confessed he is 'struggling a little' due to the constant stream of games, caused by the packed calendar over the winter months. Despite his troubles finding the net, the Chelsea striker believes the Premier League is 'fun to play in,' as he aims to improve his poor record in front of goal.
"The beginning was very good, but now after a lot of games I'm struggling a little.
"I think it's hard when you play every three days...and on Saturday against teams that can rest the whole week. It makes it tough to be the best in every game but the Premier League is very fun to play in."
Source : 90min