Liverpool Pause Timo Werner Talks Because of Coronavirus Disruption

​Liverpool have put their interest in Timo Werner on hold as they postpone all contract-related talks due to the coronavirus outbreak.

RB Leipzig star striker Werner has scored a tremendous 21 goals in just 25 Bundesliga outings this season; and would offer a different option to current central forward Roberto Firmino – who tends to play more of a role in bringing others into scoring positions than scoring himself. 

It has been widely reported that Werner has a £51m release clause at the club, but also that it had to be activated by a given date in April. Given the current situation, that now appears exceedingly unlikely to happen in the next month, with the Mail reporting that the Reds have put all talks on ice.

The German international has mentioned his admiration for both ​Liverpool and their manager Jürgen Klopp on numerous occasions. The two, of course, share a nationality and faced each other in the Bundesliga for two years when Klopp still coached ​Borussia Dortmund and Werner was breaking through at Stuttgart.

All contractual discussions with players and prospective signings have been paused for the foreseeable future. In addition, the ​dates of the summer transfer window are now completely up in the air, with nobody having the faintest idea when the current season will end – or indeed next season will begin. 

The Reds negotiated contract extensions for Klopp and ​James Milner in December, adding to a long list of such deals over the past year.

COVID-19’s impact on sport has stopped future such discussions in the immediate future now though. Werner’s transfer links have been cut, at least for the moment.