Liverpool will be moving ahead on the plan to sign RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner, whose sterling season at Bundesliga so far has made him a target of elite clubs like Barcelona and Manchester United. It is said Jurgen Klopp's side will move swiftly to secure a deal with the prolific German goalscorer as early as April 2020.
The decision to finalize an agreement with Werner seemed to have been inspired by the striker's 27 goals in all competition for the season with 11 assists to boot. In addition, Klopp is reportedly preparing for the needs that will arise in the coming season.
For one, Express reported that Divock Origi failed to fully impress, which prompted the German boss to ramp on the effort to further beef up Liverpool's strike force. And it was deemed that Werner will best fit the requirements set by Klopp.
Also, Klopp is seen to cushion the impact of key players leaving temporarily to play in international competitions. Both Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane will miss Liverpool games next season, sue to Olympic commitment for the Egyptian and the African Cup of Nations for the Senegalese.
It is understood that an early agreement on Werner's transfer to Anfield will cost Liverpool some £51 million, believed to be cheaper than the normal asking price from Leipzig if the move is cleared in the summer transfer window.
Meanwhile, Leipzig sporting director Markus Krosche has indicated that all the talks linking Werner to transfer out of Bundesliga are without basis to date. To begin, no former offers have been sent to the German club that expresses interest on the 23-year-old, Krosche claimed.
And the Leipzig exec is of the belief that the German international has no compelling reasons to walk out of his long-term contract, according to Bleacher Report.
"We play UEFA Champions League, we have a super coaching team and we still want to achieve a lot," Krosche was reported as saying.
He added: "It's normal that Timo gets into the focus of other clubs. He's playing a very, very good season and scores very, very often."
For his part, Werner has admitted that the thought of playing for a big club that is a top pick to repeat as Champions League winner and ready to make an incredible offer could prod him to think hard on the available options.
"Most likely every player would think about it," the German said in a recent interview.
"I can generally imagine playing abroad one day, although I don't have any specific club where I want to be. I am open for everything," he added.
