Liverpool’s interest in Timo Werner is arguably football’s biggest open secret.
The Reds have been linked with a move for the 23-year-old for several weeks and months now, with him said to have a €60m (£52.4m) release clause in his contract with current club RB Leipzig. They are not the only club to have been reported to be after him – Barcelona and Real Madrid are just two of the sides who have also been mentioned.
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The desire to purchase him makes perfect sense – after all, he is one of the best strikers in Europe as it stands. He has scored 21 goals in the Bundesliga so far this campaign whilst he has also provided seven assists. Deadly in front of goal, he would be an asset to any side he joins.
However, his latest comments should be a red flag to Jurgen Klopp.
Talking about his future, he has been discussing the clubs said to be eyeing him: “At this time in professional soccer there are two different variations. The first is to be part of a team like Liverpool or Manchester City. They have a good working team. The teams have also great coaches. But this is the question: do you want to go to that kind of team, because the situation is already that hard for each member and you want to be a part of it? That’s one point you have to look at. The other side are teams which need some big changes, because they just won a few big titles, but they are not able to compete on the highest level anymore. For me Manchester United is one of these teams.”
This is not the first time Werner has spoken out about his potential next destination. Following Leipzig’s 1-0 win against Tottenham in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie, he said he has a lot of work still to do to earn a place at Liverpool, but he didn’t exactly deny his desire to switch.
Whilst it is clear he would be interested in the move, it should be a worry that he is not concentrating on Leipzig’s campaign. They are currently third in the Bundesliga, five points behind Bayern, whilst they have also progressed to the quarter-finals of the Champions League after smashing Spurs 4-0 over two legs. There is still plenty to play for with his current employers – the professional attitude would be to put that first.
Given the problems which arose with Philippe Coutinho – a player who wanted to move whilst still a Liverpool player – Klopp would not want to potentially find himself in a similar situation further down the line with Werner.
If he does it once, there is no reason why he wouldn’t do it again.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have the chance to banish the ghosts of Premier League past against Crystal Palace.