Manchester United did hold talks with Timo Werner before he made the switch from Chelsea to RB Leipzig, according to Bild journalist Christian Falk.
The German international’s move back to his former club was confirmed earlier this week, with it being revealed that Leipzig have only paid an initial €20m (£17m) to re-sign him. However, Falk claims United boss Erik ten Hag was keen on bringing him to Old Trafford instead:
TRUE✅ @ManUtd negotiated with Timo Werner, before Werner decided for the Transfer to @RBLeipzig Erik ten Hag could Imagine to work with Werner @BILD_Sport #EnglischeWoche pic.twitter.com/Tq9IxIHQTB
— Christian Falk (@cfbayern) August 10, 2022
Werner was linked with United when Ralf Rangnick was still in charge so these reports have not entirely come out of nowhere, but it is still surprising that the club remained interested in snapping up the striker this summer.
It is debatable whether Chelsea would have sanctioned the sale of the 26-year-old to a Premier League rival, and it’s more than likely that United would have had to pay a premium on top of the fee he was sold to Leipzig for.