The forward could bolster United’s misfiring attacking options (Picture: Getty)
RB Leipzig are willing to let Manchester United target Timo Werner leave on loan this month but want assurances over his game time, according to reports.
The Germany international has emerged as a surprise target for the Red Devils, who are looking to bolster their attacking options after struggling for goals in the first half of the campaign.
Incredibly, only two teams – Sheffield United and Burnley, who are 20th and 19th respectively – have scored fewer goals than Erik ten Hag’s misfiring side in the Premier League this season.
Marquee summing signing Rasmus Hojlund has netted just once in the league while Anthony Martial, Antony and Marcus Rashford have all struggled in front of goal too.
United are believed to have a four-man shortlist of potential striker options, with their plans limited by the fact they can only afford a loan or cut-price deal.
Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller remains a target despite signing a contract extension; team-mate Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is also a potential option; and Stuttgart sensation Serhou Guirassy has a very tempting release clause.
Werner is the fourth name on United’s list despite only moving back to Leipzig 18 months ago for a fee in the region of £25m.
Werner has only started twice in the Bundesliga this season (Picture: Getty)
The 27-year-old endured a disastrous time at Chelsea before that, only netting 10 times in 56 Premier League games, and has struggled to revive his career back in Germany.
Werner has only managed to score twice in the Bundesliga this season and has routinely been left out of the starting XI, with Lois Openda and Youssuf Poulsen preferred.
As such, the Mirror are reporting that Leipzig are prepared to loan him out this month but only if the interested club can guarantee he will start regularly.
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Leipzig feel Werner – who has just two Bundesliga starts, in part due to a series of injury niggles – needs consistent game time to get back to his best, while the player himself wants regular minutes ahead of next summer’s Euros in Germany.
It remains to be seen if United can make that sort of guarantee, with the club already having an abundance of attacking resources even if many of them are currently struggling for form and confidence in front of goal.
Ten Hag is desperate for more firepower, though, and is unlikely to find a player with better pedigree than Werner available on loan.
The Germany international netted nine times in 27 Bundesliga outings last season after his troubles at Chelsea, having joined the west Londoners off the back of a campaign in which he was the top scorer in the country and bagged 28 goals in 34 outings.
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