Antonio Rudiger says he will be in "trouble" with Chelsea if Timo Werner fails to perform after adopting an agent role in his £47.5 million ($59m) transfer from RB Leipzig.
Chelsea saw off reported competition from the likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Liverpool to sign one of the most sought-after talents in European football earlier this month.
Speculation over Werner's future ended when he committed to a five-year contract at Stamford Bridge, which will see him earn £170,000 per week in west London.
The 24-year-old will join up with his new team-mates at the end of the current season, and will hope to produce the same form in front of goal for the Blues as he has on a weekly basis for Leipzig.
The Germany striker has hit 32 goals in 44 appearances for Julian Nagelsmann's side in 2019-20, helping them rise to third in the Bundesliga while also qualifying for the Champions League quarter-finals.
Rudiger, who plays alongside Werner at international level, has revealed the part he played in luring the frontman to Chelsea after being asked to assess his quality.
The Blues defender is hoping his "recommendation" won't come back to haunt him, as he told Sport Bild: "Chelsea asked me for an assessment.
"I have known Timo for a long time. I made a clear recommendation to do everything possible to get him.
"From the next season on he will have to deliver, otherwise I will get trouble from the club afterwards."
Rudiger went on to express his belief that Werner will have no problem making the transition from the Bundesliga to the Premier League, while insisting Chelsea are a better fit for his compatriot than Bayern would have been.
He added: "Although he [Werner] is not a classic penalty area striker, he has a certain robustness well suited to the toughness of English football.
"Counterattacking may have been more difficult for him at Bayern Munich or with a top Italian team, who are always dealing with opponents who sit very deep.
"Even outside the group of top clubs, many teams try to play positive and attacking football against us.
"This will give him the space he needs and hopefully he can use it as much as he did at Leipzig."
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