Liverpool postponing the transfer talks on Timo Werner turned out to be untrue as new reports emerged saying the RB Leipzig striker is poised to join up with the Reds next season. Supposedly, the German has already agreed on a personal level with Jurgen Klopp and that rival clubs, Chelsea and Manchester United, will not be entertained anymore.
The Werner camp has reportedly informed Chelsea and United that the 24-year-old's transfer deal with Liverpool is "effectively done," meaning any overtures coming from Frank Lampard and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be for nothing.
According to Metro, Werner and Klopp have already discussed the terms of the transfer three times via online call, and for the most part, the agreement has been sealed. For the striker, he has made clear that his exit from Bundesliga will only lead him to Anfield and there is no other place he wanted to be.
Klopp, for his part, has assured his transfer target that a place has been reserved for his arrival. Werner will be joining an already formidable Liverpool forward line that is headlined by Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, and Roberto Firmino.
If the deal will be finalized by Liverpool and Leipzig, Werner will be playing for the Reds in the next five years and he will collect a weekly salary of £140,000.
What is left to be ironed out is the transfer demanded by the Bundesliga side. The Germans are asking £53 million for the release of Werner but the Reds are looking to reduce the price tag by letting the player's exit clause expire, which will be on June 15.
Klopp is said to be optimistic that Leipzig could be talked into a more reasonable price for the transfer, which the Reds think could be reduced to £30 million given that the market situation has been greatly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.
It appeared, however, that Leipzig is playing hardball. According to Express, it is the German side that drummed up the supposed interest of Chelsea and United on Werner with the hope that the Premier League leader will agree to the value placed on the player.
While it's true that both Lampard and Solskjaer have been looking out on the Leipzig sensation, both clubs were fully aware that Werner's preference is to play for Klopp. United, for instance, has already signed Odion Ighalo to an extension, which indicates that the team is already looking beyond Werner.
Werner has been a priority target by elite clubs in Europe in the season for his phenomenal performance so far. His Bundesliga goals in the domestic campaign now stand at 24 and teams are lined up for the possibility of acquiring his service.
