If Liverpool are to pursue a deal worth up to £50.5 million for RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner, they will need to do so before the end of the campaign.
It emerged on Wednesday morning that Werner was a possible target for the Reds in the summer, with Bild claiming Jurgen Klopp is interested in a deal.
The 23-year-old is said to “perfectly complement” Klopp’s current attacking options, and with a release clause of between €55 million and €60 million included in the contract he signed in August, it would be a relative bargain.
Any fee clubs would pay for Werner based on this clause would be dependent on Leipzig’s final position in the Bundesliga.
This is similar to the situation with Naby Keita when Liverpool agreed a deal with the German club in 2017, with their sixth-placed finish eventually making this worth £52.75 million.
However, according to Bild‘s Christian Falk—the same source who made the claims earlier in the week—the Reds would need to secure a deal before the end of April.
That is per the terms of Werner’s contract, with the release clause seemingly set to expire before the end of the season.
This would give Liverpool just two-and-a-half months to decide on whether the Germany international is their preferred target, which could be confused as reports of interest in Jadon Sancho also unfolded on Thursday morning.
It is unlikely Klopp would be able to accommodate both Werner and Sancho, unless one or more of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino leave at the end of the season.
That is improbable, with the trio settled on Merseyside and the Reds heading towards their most successful campaign in recent history, with a first Premier League title on the horizon.
Werner would be the more affordable option, but Sancho could be seen as having more upside despite the proposed £100 million fee demanded by Borussia Dortmund.
The Athletic’s James Pearce has described a deal for Werner as “more likely,” as he “can’t see Liverpool paying £100m+” for Sancho.
No doubt there will be more twists in the tale for both Bundesliga standouts, with tabloids in Germany and England fuelling speculation in the coming months.
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