Manchester United are now exploring a shock deal to bring RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner to Old Trafford in January.
United fans want another striker to arrive in January but few would have suggested Timo Werner as the man to come in.
Rasmus Hojlund has shown positive signs since his big summer move from Atalanta but the Dane clearly needs more support.
We saw Anthony Martial score against Everton on Sunday, but we can’t bring ourselves to believe in the Frenchman again.
A more experienced striker to help Hojlund would be ideal and links with a move for Werner are now emerging…
Manchester United keen on RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner
Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg now reports that United are interested in signing Werner in January.
Plettenberg claims that United have ‘already enquired’ about a deal for the RB Leipzig forward ahead of the January window.
Werner is allegedly ‘not satisfied’ at RB Leipzig having dropped down their pecking order but may yet choose to stay for the rest of the season.
The 27-year-old only left Chelsea for a return to RB Leipzig in 2022, attempting to get back to his best after two difficult years in West London.
Werner scored nine Bundesliga goals last season but has started just two league games this season and is out of favour under Marco Rose.
That means United may now look to sign Werner – and it’s all part of Erik ten Hag’s clear plan.
Ten Hag comments offer insight into Werner pursuit
This may sound like a bizarre rumour; why would United want a striker who disappointed at Chelsea and has flopped back in Germany?
Well, it’s the same reason why United tried to sign Werner from Chelsea in August 2022, as The Manchester Evening News reported.
Ten Hag wants to make United into the ‘best transition team in the world’, as he stated publicly back in July of this year.
Werner certainly fits that approach and was devastating in a transition-heavy approach during his first spell at Leipzig.
The German smashed 95 goals in 159 games to earn that move to Chelsea, where he just never really got going.
Werner is so dangerous on the counter though, offering great pace and darting runs in behind to cause problems on the counter.
Julian Nagelsmann has previously indicated that Werner was used to ‘create counter-attacks’ for RB Leipzig, often peeling into the left-hand channel to generate transition opportunities.
That is something Ten Hag understands and he clearly believes that Werner can get back to his best at United whilst aiding that push to become a team with great transition play.
A January deal isn’t nailed on by any stretch, but Ten Hag has at least explained exactly why a player like Werner is on the radar.
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