RB Leipzig facing crunch time with Timo Werner as new suitors express interest

RB Leipzig is feeling the heat as it pertains to the contract of Timo Werner. The 23-year-old dynamo is entering the last year of his deal and the club is in an unenviable position with little-to-no leverage.

Werner has been repeatedly linked to Bayern Munich since last spring and has also spurned RB Leipzig’s repeated requests to extend his contract. In fear of eventually losing the Germany international on a free transfer, the club has imposed several “ultimatums” for deadlines that have all “ultimately” fallen to wayside.

The next superficial deadline that was set for Werner was “by the start of the season,” which would mean Sunday at 12:00PM EST when Die Roten Bullen will take on Union Berlin. According to Bild, RB Leipzig’s front office is taking a hardline stance with Werner, especially because Napoli and AS Roma are expressing their interest in the high-scoring striker.

Still, though, Werner seems to only be dreaming of a career in Munich:

Now everything should be clear by Sunday. RB is pushing for a decision, according to Bild, the tone of the talks has become rougher. In between, SSC Napoli and AS Roma knocked on the door via mediators - but for Werner they are not an option. His favorite club, FC Bayern, has not (yet) officially registered. an offer.

Bild also speculated that RB Leipzig could set another deadline on Werner for the end of the transfer on September 2nd. At this point, however, it would appear that Werner has all of the power in the bargaining discussion.

The fear of losing Werner for free is clearly weighing on Die Roten Bullen. Bild (behind its paywall) is speculating that Werner is available for €25 million to €30 million, which is a far cry from the €60 million to €70 million price tag that was talked about earlier in the year.

With the pressure on, RB Leipzig seems ready to take a lesser amount to ensure it does not lose its talented forward for free.