Exclusive: Chelsea ready to pay Timo Werner’s release clause
Chelsea are sensationally ready to steal a march on Liverpool by paying the entirety of Timo Werner’s release clause, Football Insider can reveal.
The long-linked Reds target has a release clause of £53.7 million that has to be triggered by 15 June to sign him this summer.
A Chelsea source has told Football Insider the club are willing to make the payment in full in the coming days and now have real hope of winning the race for Werner.
It remains to be seen if the goal machine would be keen to swap RB Leipzig for the London giants.
He has made it clear publicly and privately his first choice is to join Liverpool and has held several conversations with Jurgen Klopp.
But the runaway Premier League leaders are baulking at such a vast outlay this summer after seeing their revenues massively cut due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
RB Leipzig are only obliged to sell if the release clause is met by 15 June and do not have to accept a reduced sum.
If a club does not activate the £53m clause, they may prefer to keep Werner for another year and then sell him in 2021 when his release clause drops to £36m.
But Chelsea’s readiness to make a formal move alters the picture completely.
It may not be enough to seal a move, as it could smoke out Liverpool to match their offer and pay the release clause as well.
Werner, who has banged in a remarkable 31 goals from 40 Leipzig matches this season, would then have a choice of which club to join.
In other Liverpool news, two senior stars are set to leave as Di Marzio claims offer submitted for attacking sensation.