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Timo Werner has already expressed his interest in potentially joining Bayern Munich, as the striker thus far declined to sign a contract extension with RB Leipzig. Per a report by Bild, however, Borussia Dortmund are now also in the race to acquire Werner’s services — especially now with room on their roster and money in the bank after Christian Pulisic’s departure to Chelsea.
Werner’s current contract with Leipzig runs through June 2020, but the 22-year-old is expected to take the next move in his career before his contract is up. When he said “If you’re playing at RB Leipzig and you want to stay in Germany, there’s only one club that comes into consideration where you can transfer to,” it was presumed that he was referring to Bayern, but now it looks as if Bayern could be facing competition from rivals Borussia Dortmund.
Since Werner might see his playing time diminish if he were to move to Bayern, it might make more sense for him to pursue Dortmund. It’s highly unlikely that Werner would beat out Robert Lewandowski for a starting spot in Bayern’s lineup. He’d likely be playing second fiddle to Polish ace. The only plausible way Werner could be guaranteed solid starting minutes would be if he adopted a wider attacking role while also serving as Lewandowski’s direct backup.
At Dortmund, Werner’s competition for a consistent starting spot might not be as stiff, and his blistering pace would make him a valuable asset in Lucien Favre’s system. The on-loan and in-form Paco Alcacer would presumably be Werner’s only like-for-like competition for a starting role if Dortmund do, in fact, exercise their option to buy him at the end of his loan spell from Barcelona, which ends this summer. A potential front three of Werner, Marco Reus, and Jadon Sancho could be terrifying for opposition defenses.
Whether Werner would choose Dortmund or Bayern is still up in the air, but Leipzig’s CEO Oliver Mintzlaff has all but confirmed the club will sell him before the final year of his contract to profit from the sale:
Of course a club like us cannot afford to go into the final year of Timo Werner’s contract.
Selling Werner in the next summer transfer window would be the most financially feasible option for Leipzig, especially if his stock continues to rise with the way he’s been playing the past two and half seasons. Who buys him is another question.