Liverpool Refuse To Pay $61M For Timo Werner, Deal That Was Close To Sealing Can Now Fall Through: Report

Liverpool FC have reportedly refused to pay Timo Werner’s release clause of $61 million even if it means they will lose out on a young talented striker.

While Werner’s current club, RB Leipzig, have made it clear that they will not accept any negotiations in regards to his release clause, the Reds have offered to pay only $36m for the 24-year-old German forward and plan to withdraw from the talks, as reported by Mirror.

“It won’t get any cheaper. We will not sell a player below value if he is under contract for more than a year. In general, we always ask the question: can we replace a player if we sell him for less than his market value?” RB Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff said in a recent interview.

It is understood that the coronavirus pandemic has cost Liverpool at least $122m. The club’s manager Jurgen Klopp, who has been in constant touch with Werner, has been straight with his fellow German about the whole situation. Klopp has done everything from his side to bring Werner to Anfield, who is considered to be among hot picks this summer. Liverpool have a great relationship with the German side but the financial impact of the virus has forced the Premier League side to back out at the last minute unless RB Leipzig agree to their terms.

Now Werner can either continue with Leipzig as he still has two more years left in his current contract, reduce his transfer fee to join the Anfield side or move to some other club.

The likes of Inter Milan and Barcelona have expressed interest in Werner in the past but even those top European sides will refuse to meet the player’s release clause at RB Leipzig amid the financial crisis that emerged due to the pandemic.

Before the coronavirus crisis, Liverpool had planned to clear funds for Werner by selling Xherdan Shaqiri, and current loanees Harry Wilson and Marko Grujic, who jointly were expected to value more than $73m. Post the virus forcing the transfer market upside down, Liverpool do not see these players leaving Anfield for any significant fee at all.