Liverpool are reportedly refusing to pay Timo Werner’s £50 million release clause fee to secure the Germany international’s signature.
The RB Leipzig forward has been the central figure in an ongoing transfer saga between The Reds and RB Leipzig of the Bundesliga for many months now.
Werner has a £50 million clause in his current RB Leipzig contract but, as David Maddock reported in the Mirror last night, Liverpool have now withdrawn from talks.
It appears that Jürgen Klopp, Michael Edwards and co are expecting RB Leipzig to accept a bid of less than £30 million due to the financial uncertainty in the football world because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Maddock writes that: Liverpool have refused point bank to pay Timo Werner’s release clause – even if that means losing out on the world-class striker.
As things stand – with his club Leipzig insisting they will not negotiate a price tag below his £50million contract release – the Reds have withdrawn completely from any talks over the striker, and will not pursue his signature.
As Liverpool will be well aware, Werner’s release clause fee actually drops to £35 million in the summer of 2021. Whether he’ll still be with RB Leipzig at that stage remains to be seen.
Maddock also states that: Boss Jurgen Klopp has been straight with the Germany international forward, despite expressing a long-term interest in signing him, by insisting the transfer market has been turned upside, slashing his potential value.
The financial crisis inflicted on football by the global coronavirus pandemic means Anfield chiefs are facing at least a £100million shortfall in income over the next 12 months.
RB Leipzig took the, as to be expected, hardline stance with the club’s CEO Oliver Mintzlaff saying:
“It won’t get any cheaper. We will not sell a player below value if he is under contract for more than a year.
“In general, we always ask the question: can we replace a player if we sell him for less than his market value?”
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