Timo Werner of RB Leipzig celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the Bundesliga match ... [+]
It has been a fantastic race for the Bundesliga goalscoring title this season. On Saturday, Timo Werner scored twice against Union Berlin to become the first Bundesliga player to score 20 goals. On Sunday, Robert Lewandowski scored from the spot for his 20th goal of the season.
Werner's performance was vital in Leipzig's come from behind 3-1 victory over Union Berlin. "We showed great morale in the second half," Werner said after the game. "We weren't happy and we wanted to move up a gear. That's exactly what we did and we turned the game around, just like we did [in the 3-1 win] against Augsburg."
Both strikers needed just 18 games this season to reach the marker. An incredible feat and an intriguing battle, especially when one considers that many thought that the two strikers would become teammates last summer. But Bayern Munich opted not to go after Werner, instead, the striker signed a contract extension that according to a report by kicker includes a €50 million exit-clause next summer.
The existence of the exit-clause is undeniable. As was Werner's desire to join Bayern Munich last summer. But Bayern opted to target Leroy Sané instead and the Manchester City winger remains the number one target for the Rekordmeister going forward.
Although, according to the kicker report, well-informed circles claim that Leroy Sané's move to Bayern is by no means certain yet. The report suggests that Bayern will have to start negotiations with Manchester City from the beginning. Nonetheless, those close to the deal are optimistic that Sané will join Bayern Munich in the summer of 2020.
There Sané could be joined by another German star in Kai Havertz, who has also been heavily linked with a move to the Bavarian capital. With Bayern targeting those two stars, there remains little financial room to land Werner in the summer.
Furthermore, the question is whether Werner and Bayern have the appetite to make a deal happen. Werner was keen on a move to Munich last summer. But Bayern's cold shoulder and preference to sign Sané has meant that Werner ultimately opted to renew his contract in Leipzig instead.
A decision that has worked wonders for the 23-year-old native of Stuttgart. Under Leipzig head coach Julian Nagelsmann, Werner has featured in 100% of his club's starting XIs and has played 94% of Leipzig's overall minutes. Nagelsmann also seems to have find the perfect setup to bring the best out of the forward, Werner has been involved in 50% of the goals scored of the Bundesliga leaders.
Werner's totals are indeed fantastic. The 23-year-old has scored 25 goals and ten assists in 26 competitive games this season. In the Bundesliga, Werner has scored every 76 minutes. As a result, Transfermarkt have recently upgraded the striker's market value from $74.1 million to $85.5 million.
Timo Werner has been a fantastic fit for Julian Nagelsmann's setup this season. (Photo by Maja ... [+]
With this in mind, his €50 million ($55 million) exit-clause would be a real steal for any club interested in the forward. On Monday, kicker reported that Manchester United were seriously interested in the striker. Meanwhile, the Spanish paper Sport have reported that Barcelona could be interested in a potential winter transfer—an unlikely scenario considering that Leipzig are currently on track for their first-ever Bundesliga title.
Then there is Liverpool, the club managed by Jürgen Klopp. The Red signed Japanese forward Takumi Minamino from Red Bull Salzburg in the winter. Werner and Minamino are not identical players but would use up some of the same space, that does not mean Liverpool are out of the race, however. Werner could come in should Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino or Sadio Mané opt to leave the club and Liverpool fail in their pursuit to sign Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho.
There is no doubt that Werner, in his current form would be a perfect fit for Liverpool. Perhaps the second-best fit, behind RB Leipzig under Julian Nagelsmann.
Manuel Veth is the editor-in-chief of the Futbolgrad Network and the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth
