By Wayne Veysey

22nd May, 2020 | 5:22pm

Exclusive: Liverpool moot surprise new plan to sign Werner cheaply

Liverpool may offer well below Timo Werner’s release clause in a bid to push through a deal this summer, Football Insider understands.

The Merseysiders’ top target has a release clause of £53.7 million that can be triggered in June and has made clear how keen he is to move to Anfield.

However, Liverpool are baulking at such a vast outlay this summer after seeing their revenues massively cut due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A source with knowledge of the club’s plans has told Football Insider that one possibility that has been mooted is offering to pay a reduced fee spread across multiple payments.

It remains to be seen if that would work for RB Leipzig, who are only obliged to sell if the release clause is met by 15 June.

They may prefer to keep Werner for another year and then sell him in 2021 when his release clause drops to £36m.

Football’s changed economics mean there are unlikely to be many £50m+ transfer fees paid across the global game this summer.

Liverpool had been in hot pursuit of Werner before football’s mid-March suspension but have put it on hold amid fears the cost of the deal will now be out of their reach.

The runaway Premier League leaders have posted healthy profits in recent years but have made it clear how they are suffering like all other clubs.

“Our revenues have been shut off yet our outgoings remain,” wrote chief executive Peter Moore in an open letter to fans after Liverpool reversed their decision to furlough hundreds of staff last month.

He also warned about the prospect of “unprecedented operating losses” for a club whose annual wage bill stands at £310 million.

The club recently announced their turnover had soared to £533million for the year ending 31 May 2019 with a pre-tax profit of £42m secured.

In other Liverpool news, it can be REVEALED that the club have agreed terms of forward deal but announcement has been delayed.