Mauricio Pochettino has wanted to bring Timo Werner to Tottenham Hotspur from Bundesliga giants RB Leipzig since as far back as 2014.
There are not many better young goal-scorers in world football right now than Timo Werner.
The RB Leipzig frontman has netted 31 Bundesliga goals since he signed from Stuttgart in the summer of 2016 and looks a shoo-in to be Germany’s first-choice centre-forward in this year’s World Cup.
So imagine Mauricio Pochettino’s excitement when Werner told Bild back in September that he would be open to a move to Tottenham Hotspur as he targets a ‘big club’ to take his career to the next level.
The Spurs manager has been a big fan of Werner’s for some time. The Telegraph reported as far back as 2014 that Tottenham were watching the speedy attacker when he was a fresh-faced young winger at Stuttgart.
And, just to make talk over Werner’s future even more intriguing, Tuttosport (14 February, page 20) report that the number 11 has rejected a new contract at Leipzig.
Sporting director Ralf Rangnick has been quick to play down fears about his future, pointing out that Werner’s current deal runs until 2020, but Tuttosport believes that last season’s Bundesliga runners-up will now listen to offers of around £50 million.
Spurs would have to shatter their transfer record to bring one of Europe’s hottest attacking prospects to North London this summer.
But, if such an opportunity should arrive, Pochettino should not wait around to sign a player he has been after for four years.
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