'I needed something different' - Timo Werner says he still has plenty to show after blockbuster move to San Jose Earthquakes

Time has a funny way of reshaping perception. Werner’s resume still stacks up with most top forwards of his generation: more than 200 club goals, 24 goals in 57 caps for Germany, and a Champions League winner under Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea.

"Maybe the last two, two and a half years were not the best years, but I had like, seven, eight years on a high level where I performed on the highest level in European football," Werner said.

It is also true that his playing time has dropped off. Werner, whether it be due to injury or simply not breaking into a side, hasn’t played consistent football since 2024. 

"A move from Leipzig in the Bundesliga, or going back to the Premier League, somewhere else, I don't know. I think it would not be a change for me at this time. I needed something different in terms of a different culture," he said.

San Jose offered exactly that.

These days, the Earthquakes are one of the more intriguing projects in MLS. Bruce Arena - twice USMNT manager and a five-time MLS Cup champion - has taken charge in the Bay Area and is building something new. Werner is central to it.

Arena made it clear from the start. 

It started with a number of visits to Germany, as the manager traveled to talk to a player he coveted so much, face-to-face. There were no hidden back channels through clubs, no extended periods of groundwork through agents, or on-and-off flirtations, played out in the media. 

"He came over to Germany, and that was already like a big thing for me, because seeing a person coming seven, eight, nine hours flying to you, seeing you in person to convince you. That was something not everybody would do," Werner said.

Arena wanted Werner. And he made that absolutely clear. 

"He said 'You are the top player, and I want to win something with you.' And that gave me a good feeling from the start. He always said he would be behind me. He will help me," Werner said. 

More importantly to the German, though, was Arena realized that the man he coveted had plenty more to give on a football pitch. The legendary MLS coach had tracked Werner for years and when his representatives let Arena know he might be potentially open to MLS, he started to push forward to sell his vision for the forward.  

"We really made Timo our priority," Arena said at Werner's introductory presser.

 Arena wanted a striker, had the money to spend, and knew that Werner - even a version that hadn’t played consistently in a year - would be among the best players in the league immediately. 

 "When I went to Germany in December, I just thought we'd be very fortunate if we could acquire him."

It seemed like a pretty good deal, all said. But it wasn't straightforward. In reality, the move might have happened last year - Werner told GOAL. But the manager made it clear he was willing to delay - if only to allow Werner's family to get settled on the idea of moving to the United States. The player himself preferred a fresh start in a new year. There were, admittedly, some nervy moments for San Jose. 

Werner was linked with a few clubs around Europe last summer. There was even scattered talk of a transfer right at the start of January. New York Red Bulls were reportedly in the mix, too. But Arena’s courting process worked out in the end.

This is also a story of the power of player networks. It is no secret, these days, that footballers talk. And one who has played in multiple leagues across three clubs in two countries, and also played more than 50 times for his national team? Well, he had a pretty good idea of how to judge MLS. 

And as he looked at the landscape, he saw a setup that was not only a place for quality football but also one where his peers - and friends - had succeeded. Red Bulls’ Emil Forsberg had been in touch with Werner for some time. They had played together in Leipzig, and remain close friends. Forsberg made no secret of his desire for the two of them to link up.

“He was trying to get me to play maybe a little further east,” Werner said with a chuckle. 

There were other reference points. Werner saw Thomas Muller make an immediate impact for Vancouver Whitecaps, a team the German legend led to the MLS Cup final just four months after arriving. He saw Son Heung Min score for fun in Los Angeles for LAFC. He saw Marco Reus enjoy living in Southern California. He saw plenty of Germans not only move to America, but thrive in MLS. 

It just made sense. 

"They enjoy the football and enjoy the life," Werner said. "That was definitely part of the reason."

And as for the club itself, Werner liked that Arena recognized his various talents. For a long time, the German had been branded the guy who runs very fast in a very straight line and puts the ball in the net. In his early 20s, Werner basically lived in the left channel between the center back and the opposing right back. He was both quicker and deadlier than everyone else. 

It was a wonderful recipe, especially when he had space to run into. But as he moved from club to club, Werner changed a bit. At Chelsea, he became more of a playmaker in Thomas Tuchel’s front three. He was creating, assisting, and contributing in other ways - even if he didn’t get much credit as his goal-scoring numbers dropped off. 

"Early in my career, it was always only about scoring goals. But at the end of my time at Chelsea, or even at Tottenham, I delivered a lot of assists, but that was never recognized. Maybe other players had [more recognition]. But at the end, you know, you have to accept it, because all your career, it was about goals, goals, goals," Werner said.

Arena knew he could provide in multiple ways - and Werner liked it. And so his role in San Jose thus far has been switchable. Sometimes he is on the left. In other matches, he is on the right. He can sprint forward, and he can drop deep. He provided an assist on his debut, scampering down the right wing, before placing a perfect driven cross to Ousseni Bouda, who slotted home. The game after, he floated into space between the lines, beat his man, and threaded a pass that took three defenders out of the game to set up Bouda again. This is Werner, the playmaker he never got credit for.

"In San Jose, they recognize that, and they say, 'Hey, if he doesn't score, it doesn't matter.' If you get 25 assists this season or 20 assists, we don't care, because we win every game. That's how I go into games," Werner said.

The first thing Werner will tell you about the Bay Area is just how nice it is. But, as Arena joked, there was still some selling to do.

“When everyone talks of California, they always talk about LA. We had to explain that San Jose and San Francisco are different - but there's 300 days of sunshine.”

Since arriving in the Bay Area, Werner has embraced it.

“The people are more chill, more relaxed. The sun is out. We had good weather in London as well, but not the whole year. So having a blue sky every day is pretty something new. I'm enjoying it being outside,” he said.

At the time of Werner's conversation with GOAL, he was yet to move into a house, still technically living out of a hotel room - while also training, playing and going about life as a professional athlete.  But Werner stressed that he doesn't spend much time at the hotel. 

"I'm out the whole day doing something, being around people, enjoying the new restaurants, the culture here," he said. 

That is certainly part of the appeal. Werner had been to Los Angeles a number of times. He has been to New York and was heavily linked with a move there. His signing for the Quakes was, in many ways, a massive surprise. But the lifestyle, after the hectic day-to-day of London and Leipzig, is perfect for him. His family will join him soon. 

He is enjoying his football, too. Werner assisted in each of his first two games, and was a dangerous presence in his third. Stats don't really matter to him, but there is a general sense here that he will be able to provide for a Quakes side that has playoff aspirations. They have a DP spot open, too, and plenty of scope to invest - something Werner admitted he is keenly aware of. 

"The level is high. The teams we played so far all have their different styles of football. You can compare it to Europe, definitely," Werner said.

Werner admits, too, that things are coming to an end. Sure, he turned 30 just two weeks ago, but he can feel retirement coming.

"I mean, in my opinion, the football will get younger and younger. The people who retire will be younger," he said.

So this might just be the perfect closing chapter to the narrative he - and only he - can construct.