Timo Werner reportedly prefers joining Manchester United instead of Barcelona if he is forced to leave Chelsea in January.
According to a report by Catalan outlet El Nacional, Timo Werner’s preference for his next club after leaving Chelsea has been revealed. The German international favours joining Manchester United instead of Barcelona, although the Blues do not want to sell to a direct Premier League rival.
Timo Werner joined Chelsea from RB Leipzig in the summer transfer window of 2020, arriving at the club amid a lot of hype surrounding him following an impressive 2019/20 campaign. However, the German forward has struggled to make his mark for the west Londoners in the last eighteen months.
While Werner is one of Chelsea’s top scorers since joining the club, a tally of 15 goals and 16 assists in 64 appearances leaves much to be desired. As a result, it has been suggested that the Blues might not be opposed to selling the 25-year-old, who is a target for Barcelona and Manchester United.
The interest from Barcelona makes sense, considering Xavi Hernandez does not have a reliable striker at his disposal. Sergio Aguero’s unavailability due to a heart condition has left the Barcelona manager with Martin Braithwaite and Luuk de Jong as the only viable options.
However, while de Jong has been dreadful since arriving on loan from Sevilla in the summer transfer window, Braithwaite is best used as a backup option instead of starting week in week out. So, Barcelona must sign a striker in the January transfer window, with Werner a viable target. However, the Catalan giants face stiff competition from Manchester United for the Chelsea striker.
The Red Devils’ interest in Werner is surprising but understandable, considering Anthony Martial and Edinson Cavani face uncertain futures at Old Trafford. Interestingly, both the strikers have been linked with Barcelona, with a January exit for one of the forwards likely. So, Werner is an option worth considering to fill the spot vacated by either Martial or Cavani.
According to El Nacional, Werner favours joining Manchester United instead of Barcelona as he wishes to reunite with Ralf Rangnick at Old Trafford. However, Chelsea would not want to sell a player to a direct rival, which gives Barcelona a solid chance to snap him up.
The Catalan giants, who have contacted Chelsea over a possible January move, want to sign Werner on an initial loan deal before securing a permanent deal in the summer. So, it remains to be seen if Werner joins Barcelona in a winter move or Manchester United can somehow snap him up instead.
