Transfer Rumour: Manchester United planning to steal a march on Liverpool for Timo Werner

Manchester United are reportedly ready to hijack Liverpool’s move for German international Timo Werner in the January transfer window.

According to a report by Daily Mirror, Manchester United have stepped up their interest in Timo Werner and are planning to steal a march on Liverpool for the German international. The RB Leipzig striker has a £27 million release clause in his contract with the Bundesliga giants.

Werner has been rated as one of the most promising young strikers in the Bundesliga ever since he joined RB Leipzig from VfB Stuttgart, with Ralph Hasenhuttl converting him from a winger. Over the years, the German forward has gone from strength to strength.

But, since the arrival of Julian Nagelsmann at the helm at the Red Bull Arena, Werner has taken his career to the next level. In 15 games across all competitions, the 23-year-old has a superb record of 13 goals and 3 assists. And, this past weekend, he became the first player in Bundesliga history to have a hat-trick of goals and assists as Leipzig thrashed FSV Mainz 8-0.

The player’s exploits over the years have attracted a number of top clubs across Europe, with much of the interest coming from the Premier League, where Manchester United and Liverpool have had their sights on him.

Manchester United are in dire need of a striker after a slow start to the season, wherein they have managed to score more than once in just three games in all competitions. After selling Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan in the summer, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer chose not to sign another striker, a decision that has come back to haunt him and the club.

With goals coming at a premium, Manchester United have already fallen 18 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, with the latest setback coming in the form of a 1-0 loss to Bournemouth.

That defeat and several other dismal performances have made it impossible for Manchester United to ignore the lack of another striker to compete with Anthony Martial, with Marcus Rashford better suited to play out wide. The interest from Liverpool, on the other hand, comes as a bit of a surprise.

Jurgen Klopp has one of the best attacking units across Europe at his disposal, with Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah running riot in league and continental competitions. The pursuit of Werner, though, could perhaps be stemming from the fact that there is very little quality beyond the triumvirate, especially in Firmino’s position.

What further makes Werner an attractive target is the fact that his release clause is a mere £27 million. However, the report suggests that Liverpool are only likely to make a move for Werner next summer, which has given Manchester United hope in their bid to land the German international.

The Red Devils are now preparing to hijack their bitter rivals’ move for Werner by launching a January bid for the striker. What also stands Manchester United in good stead is the fact that they will offer Werner regular football, something Liverpool are unlikely to, as former Leipzig boss Ralf Rangnick has also previously iterated.

It now remains to be seen if Manchester United indeed make a concrete offer to land Werner in January, or if Liverpool can secure his services instead.