Premier League club hijack Man United's Timo Werner deal

Tottenham Hotspur has completed a shock deal for RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner as he returns to the Premier League.

The former Chelsea flop moved back to Germany in the summer of 2022 after two years with the Blues. Although the striker failed to impress during his time in west London, he was seemingly able to get back on track in the Bundesliga.

Spurs have finalized an agreement with Leipzig to sign the Germany international on an initial loan.

The deal, however, may also include a potential buy option as well. The north London outfit is currently pushing for the proposal. Spurs will cover all of Werner’s salary in the deal. The forward is currently the highest-paid player in Leipzig’s squad, making over $200,000 per each week.

Werner was not named in the German club’s squad for a matchup with St. Gallen on Saturday, January 6th. Leipzig scheduled the friendly as Bundesliga teams are currently on a winter break. The top flight is set to resume on Friday, January 12th.

Move makes sense for Spurs as current star set to miss up to six games

Fellow Premier League side Manchester United were also previously toying with a move for Werner as well. In fact, the Red Devils even reportedly made an official inquiry regarding a possible January transfer.

United is currently struggling to score goals at the moment and desperately needs reinforcements up front. For instance, the club has only managed to score 22 goals in 20 top-flight matches so far this season. Only cellar dwellers Sheffield United and Burnley have scored fewer goals in league play.

Nevertheless, Spurs has trumped their rivals to secure Werner’s signature. The north London club, currently fifth in the Premier League table, does not have the same scoring issue as United. In fact, they have already racked up 42 goals during the current campaign.

However, star forward Son Heung-min will miss significant time in January and February because he is participating in the Asian Cup. Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma will all miss games due to the African Cup of Nations.

Reduced playing time could see Timo Werner return to Premier League

Werner is open to a move back to the Premier League after his playing time with Leipzig has dwindled in recent months. The forward featured in 40 total matches for the German outfit during the 2022/23 season. Nevertheless, manager Marco Rose has increasingly opted to utilize the star forward as a substitute during the current campaign.

After being named in the starting lineup for the club’s Bundesliga opener in August, Werner has only managed to get one more start for the rest of the season. The striker was also relegated to the bench during Leipzig’s Champions League group stages matches as well.

The deal is undoubtedly a gamble for Spurs. After all, Werner has already shown to underperform in the highly demanding Premier League. However, the forward could thrive in Tottenham’s style of play under manager Ange Postecoglou. Werner’s electric pace would seemingly fit in well with the club’s frenetic tempo during games.

Photo credit: IMAGO / Sven Simon