Tottenham 'open talks' to beat Man Utd to Timo Werner transfer

Tottenham Hotspur have held talks with RB Leipzig over a deal to sign forward Timo Werner on loan, according to reports.

90min reported in November that Leipzig were ready to part ways with Werner this winter after watching the 27-year-old tumble down the pecking order. He has started just two Bundesliga games all season and has largely been used as a late substitute.

Contact was made with Premier League suitors late last year and Manchester United are among the sides to have enquired about Werner's availability, although 90min understands the Red Devils are focusing more on outgoings this January and will only move for a new striker if sufficient funds can be raised first.

With United yet to pull the trigger on a move for a forward, Sky Germany revealed Spurs are deep in negotiations with Leipzig over a shock loan deal that would see Werner return to the Premier League just 18 months after leaving Chelsea.

The two clubs are understood to be negotiating a loan fee and salary percentage in the hope of sealing an agreement in the coming days.

Werner was a popular figure among Chelsea fans during his two-year stay at Stamford Bridge even though he failed to live up to his £47.5m price tag.

The hard-working German ended his spell with Chelsea with just 23 goals in 89 games, returning to Leipzig for a fee of around £25m.

It was with Leipzig that Werner first made his name as a prolific goalscorer. He netted 78 times across four Bundesliga seasons between 2016 and 2020 and was expected to join Liverpool before Chelsea swooped in to land his signature.

Having struggled to justify the expense, Werner returned to Leipzig on a permanent deal last season and managed nine goals in 27 games, but he has been dropped from the team this year following the arrivals of Lois Openda and Benjamin Sesko, and the German now appears set for a second crack at life in England.

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