Barcelona are reportedly eyeing Timo Werner, who is also a target for Liverpool, as a possible alternative to Lautaro Martinez.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are considering Timo Werner as a possible alternative to primary target Lautaro Martinez. The RB Leipzig striker is also the subject of interest from Premier League heavyweights Liverpool.
Werner has long been rated as one of the most promising strikers in Europe. The German forward, though, has gone up a notch in performance levels since the arrival of Julian Nagelsmann at RB Leipzig, making huge strides to fulfill the promise.
The 2019-20 season has been his most productive till date, with Werner in the running to win the Bundesliga Golden Boot with 21 goals to his name so far. The 24-year-old has also played a key role in Leipzig’s run-up to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. His exploits have, in turn, piqued the interest of several clubs, including Liverpool and Barcelona.
Liverpool hold a long-standing interest in Werner, having been linked with him plenty of times in the past. The continued interest in the striker is tad surprising but understandable at the same time, amid Roberto Firmino’s year-long scoring drought at Anfield.
Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah have shouldered the bulk of the scoring responsibility for Liverpool, with Divock Origi stepping up at times, like he did in the Champions League against Barcelona last year. Adding a glut of goals from Werner, though, could help the Reds take the next step in their attempt to become the most dominant team in Europe.
Barcelona, on the other hand, have an even more dire need to sign a striker. Luiz Suarez is on the wrong side of 30 and is in the twilight of his career. To make matters more concerning, the veteran striker will be returning after a long-term knee injury when he plays next season and it is unclear as to whether he will be able to play at his best levels post-recovery.
As a result, Barcelona have identified Lautaro Martinez as their priority summer target. The La Liga champions, though, are also identifying possible alternatives. To that end, Liverpool are now facing stiff competition from the Blaugrana, with Werner emerging as a possible contingency option.
Barcelona might even have an advantage in pursuit of Werner, who has been advised by former manager Ralf Rangnick to snub a move to Liveprool. For now, though, it looks like Barcelona and Liverpool will go head-to-head in the race to sign Werner from RB Leipzig in the summer; another transfer battle looks set to heat up.
