Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has suggested new signing Timo Werner is a “different player” from the one that struggled at rivals Chelsea.
The German forward, 27, has joined Spurs on loan from RB Leipzig for the rest of the season, two years after his frustrating spell at Chelsea ended.
Werner scored 23 goals in 89 appearances and won the Champions League with Chelsea.
Postecoglou says “what happened in the past is not relevant”.
“I don’t look too much into that,” said the Tottenham manager.
“I’m looking at what he can give us today not what happened three or four years ago.
“I’d dare to suggest he’s a different player, certainly a different person. We all evolve. He’s more mature probably at a different stage of his life.”
Werner could be utilised in the Spurs front three as a replacement for Son Heung-min, who is currently on international duty with South Korea at the Asian Cup and could miss the next four league games.
“When talking about players coming in, it’s about ‘do I see them playing in the team I’ve got and I’m creating?’,” Postecoglou added.
“Particularly with Son [Heung-min] going away for such a period of time, we still felt we needed another player in the front third.
“Timo was at a point where he was looking for something to change from his current status and moving was one of those options.
“I thought Timo would be a good fit for us stylistically. He certainly has the attributes we look for. He can play all three positions [across the front line] which adds some real depth for us and quality in the front third.
“What happened in the past is not relevant. He’s at a good age, has national team aspirations, wants to play at the highest level and this club offers him that opportunity.”
Werner is joined at Tottenham Hotspur by fellow new recruit Radu Dragusin.
The Romania centre-back signed from Genoa for £25m on Thursday and Postecoglou says the 21-year-old has some “great attributes”.
“He’s a good fit for us from a football perspective,” Postecoglou said before Sunday’s Premier League trip to Manchester United.
“He certainly has some great attributes as a young player and from my chats with him as a person he’s come in with the right motivations.
“We had some pretty clear objectives. If there’s an opportunity for us to get better, we’ll take it.”
