Reports | Manchester United interested in signing Timo Werner from Chelsea ahead of Barcelona
According to ESPN, Manchester United interim manager, Ralf Rangnick is interested in bringing Timo Werner to Manchester from Chelsea as the German coach is interested in reuniting with Werner after their time together in Germany. United and Barcelona are seen as the frontrunners to sign Werner.
Timo Werner established himself as one of the best strikers in the game during his spell with RB Leipzig in Germany. The German striker then made the move to Chelsea in the summer of 2020 for a reported fee of ÂŁ47.5 million release clause. Werner underwent a difficult phase in England as he took time to adapt to his new surroundings and hasn't been able to replicate his goal-scoring prowess in England. The 25-year-old has made 64 appearances for the Blues while scoring 15 goals and providing 16 assists across all competitions.
According to ESPN, a move could be on the cards for the German international as Manchester United and Barcelona are set to battle it out to recruit the Chelsea star. The Blaugrana have been linked with the 25-year-old in recent years as they had attempted to sign the German during his time at Leipzig. Chelsea are willing to let go of their star in January and it is understood that an initial loan with the option to make the deal permanent for a fee of €40 million would prompt Barcelona to pull the trigger.Â
Ralf Rangnick's arrival at Old Trafford could shake up any potential deal as the Red Devils could be interested in pursuing the German striker to switch to Manchester rather than Barcelona. Rangnick will be familiar with Werner as the pair worked well together during their spells at Leipzig. It is understood that Roman Abramovich would rather sell Werner to Barcelona rather than strengthening a Premier League competitor. Werner is also likely to be more interested in moving to United in January to play under his former coach.