According to multiple sources, Liverpool are leading the race to sign RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner.
Likely to be challenged by rivals Chelsea for his signature, Werner is rated at £60m and is highly sought after following his fantastic performances in the German Bundesliga this season.
Fans of Liverpool are often talking about an extra string to their attacking bow, especially given Liverpool could never truly fill the hole left by the £105m departure of Philippe Coutinho.
But with their current firepower, do Liverpool really need Timo Werner?
Given that Liverpool’s electric attacking triumvirate of Sadio Mané, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah have scored 47 goals and registered 26 assists in all competitions this season, it may seem silly to suggest that Liverpool need to bring in another attacking player.
But the proposition of signing Timo Werner is one that Liverpool simply cannot refuse!
Capable of operating both centrally and on the left, Werner is the focal point of Julian Nagelsmann’s high-intensity Leipzig outfit. A young and innovative manager, the German revolves his systems around versatility and gegenpressing, tasking the likes of Werner to shift from a central striking position to a position on the wing during games.
This versatility is something which would certainly excite Jürgen Klopp. In the last two seasons, we’ve seen Divock Origi normally fulfil this versatile attacking role, but the truth is that Liverpool have lacked real depth to cover for any injury to their star trio.
Werner would certainly fix this issue.
We could see Klopp revert to his famed 4-2-3-1 from his Dortmund days with Firmino dropping into the number 10 position whilst Werner and Mané occupy the wings with Salah playing through the middle as a number 9.
Additionally, Werner could prove to be the perfect cover for the likes of Mané and Salah who are likely to be away from Liverpool for a full month during January of 2021 when they are at the Africa Cup of Nations.
With 21 goals and 7 assists in the Bundesliga this season, Werner rivals the best strikers in Europe with his goal tally. He is fast, skilful and a quality finisher.
However, there are questions marks surrounding one particular aspect of Werner’s play.
Given the nature of the Bundesliga’s high pressing teams, Werner is often afforded space on counter-attacks that would seldom eventuate in the Premier League due to the resolute defensive blocks used by many teams.
This mightn’t prove to be a massive issue, but it is certainly noteworthy for clubs who wish to pursue the star German striker.
However, perhaps the most beneficial aspect of signing Timo Werner would be his link-up with former teammate Naby Keita. Keita has largely struggled for consistency since his highly touted £52m transfer to Merseyside.
In 2016/17, Keita was Leipzig’s best player when the up and coming team finished second in the Bundesliga. His partnership with Werner saw the German striker finish as Leipzig’s top scorer that season.
Could the return of Werner see Liverpool finally get the best out of Naby Keita?
There’s certainly potential for it!
Either way, Timo Werner is an essential signing for Liverpool to make in the summer and would amplify their already powerful attacking threat.
This could be the logical step to make for Liverpool to become one of the best teams of this generation!
