In the Timo Werner race, Chelsea and Liverpool were among the notable teams mentioned pursuing the German striker. However, it appears that Manchester City had also tried to woo the 24-year-old football player but the offer was immediately thumbed down. No numbers were revealed but the reason behind it was reportedly because Werner had already decided to move to Stamford Bridge.
It should be noted that as of this writing, no official deal has been made on Werner's transfer to Chelsea. This was revealed no less by RB Leipzig's sporting director Oliver Mintzlaff. However, he seems already resigned to the notion that Werner is as good as gone. All he wants right now is for the German to finish the current season with the Red Bulls and then move forward.
Under normal circumstances, the fact that no contract is on the table could be a way for teams to sneak in and try to pull the rug from under the favored team. But in this case, Werner's mind has been made up. It appears this was sealed when Frank Lampard and sporting director Petr Ctech went on a secret mission to Germany to talk with Werner. According to the Telegraph, this was what sealed the deal between Werner and the Blues.
With Werner off the table, Pep Guardiola has no choice but to target other talents. Jadon Sancho, a player that has been widely linked to Manchester United. Though the Red Devils are temporarily putting a halt on their recruitment process, it is believed that the team is saving up for one big splurge by the next transfer window. Aside from Sancho, another player on Solskjaer's radar is Jack Grealish of Aston Villa.
For their part, Guardiola also needs to address some manpower problems of his own. Leroy Sane has hardly played this season with the 24-year-old dealing with an ACL injury. Sane suffered that injury City played Liverpool. But even before that, the German winger was already being linked to a possible move to Bayern Munich. Unless Guardiola can clear things out with him, there is a chance he could be losing another talent by next season.
Before anything else, City is now awaiting the result of its appeal to UEFA. The Citizens are facing a two-year ban due to breaches of Financial Fair Play regulations. Hearings are set to start Wednesday and City will be keeping a close watch. That ban is also considered a factor for players who are considering a Champions League stint.
