Liverpool have been given renewed hopes in their pursuit of RB Leipzig’s striker Timo Werner, as the German club has confirmed that Bayern Munich aren’t interested in signing the 21-year-old.
Werner was regularly linked with Liverpool over the summer, with the Daily Mail claiming that the Reds were keeping a close eye. Scoring 21 goals and 5 assists in Bundesliga last season, Werner guided his team to a second-place finish.
Both Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig met for the second time in four days on Sunday and the former emerged victorious in both of them. First up was DFB Cup Second round and with the teams level until the final whistle, the game was decided on penalties, which went in favour of Die Roten.
Next stop was Allianz Arena and Bayern once again got the better of Leipzig. But prior to the game, Bayern president Uli Hoeness and chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge invited Leipzig’s president Oliver Mintzlaff and the rest of the club’s hierarchy to dinner and plenty of things were discussed. Mintzlaff, however, revealed that Bayern did not utter a single word over Werner’s transfer.
“We had a pleasant lunch and dinner with Bayern, with Mr. Rummenigge and Mr. Hoeness. We talked about everything. But we did not talk about Timo Werner. Therefore there is no enquiry or offer,” Mintzlaff told Sport1.
“If there were, we would be relaxed and would point to the contract and the happiness of the player. He has developed splendidly with us and taken the next steps. Therefore there is no reason for the player to say ‘I was Germany’s best striker last season now I have to look for the next step.
“He can make it with us, he is now playing in the Champions League. There we must have him and we will not let him go.”
Liverpool have already struck a deal with Leipzig over Naby Keita, who will be joining us next season, and Mintzlaff’s quotes might have handed Liverpool some renewed hopes in the pursuit of the 21-year-old. Werner is contracted with Leipzig until 2020 and when he was asked about a move away from Germany, the striker heaped praises on the Premier League.
“Until now, everything has gone well with Leipzig, I don’t think about what could happen in one, two or three years, but of course I want to play for a big club at some point,” Werner told Sport Bild.
“In Spain there are a maximum of three clubs with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. In England there is a bit more, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City. Bayern is also a big club, but for me it is not a topic that I am concerned with.”
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