RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner Agrees £53m Move to Chelsea

Timo Werner has agreed in principle to join Chelsea in a stunning deal worth £53million move on wages of £180,000-a-week.

The Blues have capitalised on Liverpool going cold on the striker after an unwillingness on Merseyside to pay the RB Leipzig striker’s full release clause.

Sportsmail understands that Werner has accepted the deal on the table offered by the Stamford Bridge club worth around £180,000-a-week (£9m-a-year).

Werner has a £53m release clause but the Reds have been put off given the financial uncertainty caused by the coronavirus crisis.

The clause has to be triggered by June 15 and despite Liverpool previously being considered front-runners and Werner’s repeated praise of Jurgen Klopp’s team, he looks set to join their Premier League rivals.

There is still room for Liverpool to come in for Werner but at present they are unwilling to match the offer.

Werner’s agent Karlheinz Forster is understood to have held advanced discussions yesterday and the finer details of the deal are expected to be ironed out with Chelsea by the start of next week.

It is understood that Jurgen Klopp made a video call to Werner a couple of months ago but the encouraging noises coming from Merseyside have since stopped.

Chelsea have no such financial concerns concerns with the coffers full after their transfer ban and the sale of Eden Hazard to Real Madrid last summer.

Though his release clause is due to drop to £36m next year, they have made their move now to fend off competition from other European sides with Manchester United also among his admirers.

They want a top level striker to offer competition to Tammy Abraham and already have a good relationship with Leipzig as 19-year-old defender Ethan Ampadu is on loan at the Bundesliga club.

Werner reportedly made up his mind to leave RB Leipzig in March and having not heard from Liverpool in weeks, he is now on the brink of confirming a move to Chelsea.

The Blues have long followed Werner and watched him closely last season.

As Sportsmail reported in December, Chelsea scouts made favourable reports when they watched him and their other forward option Moussa Dembele during Red Bull Leipzig’s Champions League encounter with Lyon.

The striker has been an ever-present force in Julian Naglesmann’s side this season with 31 goals in 30 competitive games and 12 assists.

Inter Milan emerged as contenders to sign Werner in recent weeks but any move was contingent on Lautaro Martinez moving to Barcelona.

It appears that Chelsea will capitalise on the reluctance of Liverpool and inability of other sides to stump up the release clause by moving to secure one of the most clinical finishers in Europe.