£48m Chelsea flop ‘free to leave club’ as West Ham ‘monitor situation’ amid huge London interest
Premier League clubs are on red alert after finding out RB Leipzig are willing to sell ex-Chelsea forward Timo Werner, according to reports.
The Blues signed the 27-year-old from Leipzig for around £48million in 2020.
He struggled at Stamford Bridge, scoring 23 goals in 89 appearances for the Premier League giants.
Chelsea sold Werner back to Leipzig for a fee in the region of £17.5m last August, which is quite an alarming loss.
The German international scored 28 goals in 34 Bundesliga games the season before being snapped up by the Londoners but that scoring touch has eluded him since returning to his home country.
Last season, he found the back of the net nine times in 27 league appearances, and in 2023/24, Werner has only scored twice in 13 matches across all competitions with minutes hard to come by.
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Leipzig have plenty of options in the No. 9 position – signing Benjamin Sesko and Lois Openda over the summer – so are willing to get rid of Werner.
This is according to a report from 90min, where it is claimed the German club have ‘decided he is free to leave the club’.
‘Several Premier League clubs have been contacted’ ahead of the January transfer window, it is claimed.
A return to London looks possible with Fulham and Crystal Palace both interested in signing the 27-year-old on loan.
Another option for Werner is West Ham, who are competing in the Europa League this term.
The Hammers are apparently ‘monitoring the situation’ with ‘nothing ruled out’ at this stage.
David Moyes is likely to pursue a new striker in January after letting Gianluca Scamacca join Atalanta in the summer.
The Scottish manager did not replace the Italian international, leaving Michail Antonio as his only out-and-out No. 9, though Jarrod Bowen – who is statistically the third-best finisher in the Premier League this season – has helped out by playing in that position.
Fulham, meanwhile, are desperate for a focal point up top having sold Aleksandar Mitrovic to Al Hilal in the summer window.
Speaking recently, Leipzig sporting director Rouven Schroder suggested he is willing to part ways with Werner.
He said: “Timo Werner is a part of a team that has to face competition. He’s going through a difficult phase, we support him. It’s not always all sunshine and roses.”
On a potential January exit, Schroder added: “We will have players who have something else in mind. We will face that. Quite openly, very clearly.
“If someone has the idea that they want to do something different, then we will deal with it.”
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