Chelsea striker Claudio Pizarro has thanked the club for helping him seal a loan move to Werder Bremen.

Pizarro expressed his gratitude to Chelsea yesterday after they agreed to pay £20,000 of his weekly wage to prevent a loan move to Werder Bremen falling through.

The out-of-favour Peru striker was desperate to escape his Stamford Bridge misery but feared he would be denied a fresh start after the Germans baulked at his £55,000-a-week pay packet.

Pizarro, a target for Hull and Stoke, said: "Chelsea have been very helpful and I would like to thank them."