Sources: Liverpool have already tabled bid for forward Klopp rates higher than Werner

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Published on:

05 Jun 2020, 1:15 am

Liverpool have already tabled an offer for Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele as they pull out of the race to sign Chelsea-bound Timo Werner, Football Insider can reveal.

This site became the first English-language site to report - at 5.20pm yesterday - that the Londoners have agreed to pay Werner's £53m release clause.

Liverpool have been assessing bona fide alternatives for some time and a formal move has already been made for Dembele.

A recruitment source has told Football Insider the left-footed attacker is rated as an outstanding matchwinner by Jurgen Klopp and even more of a natural talent than Werner.

The Merseysiders have already approached Barcelona with a loan-to-buy offer for Dembele that would see him eventually sign permanently.

But the France international is set on proving himself at Camp Nou, where he has had a mixed time since signing from Borussia Dortmund for £112m in 2017.

He has suffered from injury and up-and-down form, making just 74 appearances in three seasons.

But the super-quick wide forward, who prefers to operate on the right flank and cut in on to his left foot, has still scored a creditable 19 goals for the Spanish giants as well as supplied 17 assists.

He missed a big chunk of the current campaign with a hamstring injury and has not played since the end of November.

Meanwhile, Werner is now closing in on a shock move to Chelsea.

Liverpool have baulked at paying the entirety of his release this summer after seeing their revenues massively cut due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Werner, who has banged in a remarkable 31 goals from 40 Leipzig matches this season, is now set to discuss personal terms with Chelsea.

In other Liverpool news, two senior stars are set to leave after offer submitted for attacking sensation.

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