Chelsea offered Timo Werner on loan to RB Leipzig as part of the deal to sign Josko Gvardiol, but the German side do not wish to sell the defender.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea have offered out-of-favour forward Timo Werner to RB Leipzig as part of their deal to sign defender Josko Gvardiol. The German giants are interested in re-signing Werner but have no intentions of offloading their 20-year-old defensive mainstay this summer.
Chelsea have been on the hunt for defensive reinforcements throughout the summer but have had little luck so far. Kalidou Koulibaly is the only centre-back they have signed despite having chased at least half a dozen names, which has led to manager Thomas Tuchel getting frustrated.
Chelsea have failed in their pursuit of Matthijs de Ligt, Nathan Ake and Jules Kounde and are now looking at Leicester City’s Wesley Fofana and Josko Gvardiol of RB Leipzig as candidates to bolster their defensive unit. And to sign the latter, the west London outfit have offered the services of Werner on loan to the Bundesliga outfit.
Werner joined Chelsea from Leipzig two years ago, but has failed to make the impact expected of him. The goals have dried up for the German international while he is not a regular starter in Tuchel’s lineup either. Hence, the 26-year-old is considering leaving the club this summer, especially with the FIFA World Cup in Qatar only months away.
RB Leipzig have shown an interest in re-signing Werner and the striker, too, is open to the prospect of returning to his old stomping ground. And Chelsea tried to take advantage of this situation by offering the Saxony-based outfit an opportunity to sign Werner on loan as part of a deal which would see Gvardiol arrive at Stamford Bridge.
However, while they remain keen on Werner, Leipzig do not intend to sell Gvardiol this summer. The German outfit signed the centre-back only last summer and see him as a key member of the team, especially considering that they have lost Ibrahima Konate, Dayot Upamecano and Nordi Mukiele over the past year.
So, unless Chelsea present RB Leipzig with an offer that the Germans absolutely cannot refuse, a move for Gvardiol looks like a distant possibility, and the Londoners could be headed for more disappointment in their pursuit of the defender.