This is the latest on Timo Werner to Liverpool.
After all the flirting, the nods and winks and elbow nudges and outright ‘come and get me’ pleas directed towards Liverpool, it seems we have finally reached the end of his tale.
Timo Werner wants a move to Anfield. He wants to work with Jurgen Klopp and he wants to make things happen on Merseyside.
But he won’t.
Multiple sources are now telling us that the German striker looks set to move to Chelsea after Liverpool decided the finances involved in the deal were simple too great for them.
The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg is saying that Werner is set to agree a contract with the Stamford Bridge side, who are willing to pay the £53 million release clause in his contract.
Chelsea, Steinberg said, have more spending power because of the transfer embargo that meant they couldn’t do any deals in the summer.
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Liverpool have decided to play it safe after the financial impacts of COVID-19 and the loss of match day revenue as well as the rebate each club has to pay back to the broadcasters.
The Mirror’s John Cross tweeted that Werner had accepted a deal worth £200,000-a-week over five years, and that’s perhaps one of the main sticking points of this deal for Liverpool and FSG.
Contracts of that value and length can be a burden when they go wrong – and although there’s no suggestion that the striker will flop in England – it’s a lot to be paying for someone who will be a fourth choice forward.
Liverpool may have thought they could wait out this year’s clause and get their man for less next season, but that gamble has backfired and now they’ll have to watch someone who was desperate for a move to Anfield turn out under Frank Lampard’s Chelsea.
All fans can do now is trust the owners, trust Klopp and trust the transfer system that was seen Liverpool sign success after success after success.
This squad should be deep enough to absorb this missed signing, especially if there are big plans for Takumi Minamino and Rhian Brewster.