The speculation over Timo Werner's future has elevated with the news that he’s "ready to sign for Liverpool". Werner has been linked with the UCL Champions for a long time, but what’s fascinating is that they aren’t the only Premier League interested in him.
It’s not at all surprising that he’s in hot demand. Over the past four years, the 24-year-old has developed into one of the most impressive young players in the Bundesliga.
Werner reminded the industry of his abilities with a hat-trick on Sunday, helping his side sail to a 5-0 win at Mainz and will look to maintain that form in the coming weeks.
This season has been his best, with 30 goals in 38 games (so far), taking his overall total for Leipzig to 91 in 152 appearances.
Werner made no secret of his desire to move to Liverpool. In an interview with Sky in Germany, he described Jurgen Klopp as "the best coach in the world", adding: "There are many things that would suggest my style of play might be a good fit." His biggest strength is his clinical finishing ability. Since his move from Stuttgart to RB Leipzig at the start of the 2016/17 season, only Robert Lewandowski has scored more Bundesliga goals. His attacking style and current environment seem to be a perfect match for Liverpool.
RB Leipzig play modern, high-intensity football under Julian Nagelsmann with emphasis on counter-attacks (Something that Liverpool do quite often). Werner fits in perfectly in this system. His speed and directness can be devastatingly effective. According to Opta, he ranks top for shots and goals from fast counter-attacks in the Bundesliga this season.
Most of Werner's goals have come from a central striking position (this season), but he’s also tactically adaptable. Leipzig have used nine different formations in the Bundesliga this season and he’s also comfortable playing in wide positions, particularly when coming inside from the left.
A statistical comparison with Mohammed Salah highlights his effectiveness. The numbers show that Werner has outperformed the Egyptian this season with regards to expected goals, averaging 0.63 Goals-per 90 minutes compared to Salah's 0.47. He is slightly behind Salah for touches in the opposition box, but he matches him for dribbles. In fact, one can also say that Timo Werner is a talisman in the making.
Another factor in Werner's favor is his age. The RB Leipzig frontman has already amassed close to 300 senior appearances since making his debut for Stuttgart in 2013, but he only turned 24 in March.
With that being said, Timo Werner is undoubtedly an excellent striking option. It seems quite obvious that Leipzig are bound to lose him. He certainly has the potential to become the next “big” thing in football. And whichever club gets to sign him will be more than happy with what he brings to the table.
