T.

Werner

created by
PAUL TOMKINS

TIMO
WERNER
Birth date: 06/03/1996
Height: 180 cm - Weight: 75 kg
RB Leipzig
Rating

Recommendation
Sign him at next window

Notes
Would be highly surprised if Leipzig hold on to Timo Werner beyond the summer.

Would be equally surprised if Liverpool manage to sign him - but that is my recommendation. Anything under £100m would be
value, in what might be the most ridiculous sentence I've ever written.

The concerns would when he asked to come off the pitch in a Champions League tie because of the noise in the ground - but this
was probably a unrelated illness or virus - because otherwise it might make any transfer impossible if it was in fact linked to the
noise and could reappear in the future.

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MAIN ABILITIES
His overall profile fits perfectly with our current front three:

Speed, over short and long distances - with and without the ball.

Stronger on his right side, but finishes well with either foot (and in the air).

Strength.

Part of a system that using counter-pressing, even showing excellent technique when regaining the ball.

Link up play - physical or skilful.

Intelligent movement.

BALL CONTROL
Not only is Werner's control excellent, but he is difficult to predict as he seems equally adept taking the ball with either foot - and
having the ability to turn and dribble away.

WILLINGNESS TO SHOOT
As will become apparent, the comparisons with Roberto Firmino are likely - which is no mean feat considering the uniqueness of
our brilliant Brazilian.

In this case, they have a virtually identical shots per 90 record across their careers. (2.71 to 2.85). It doesn't put them in the elite
bracket for shot volume (Kane, Aguero, Suarez, Messi, Salah), however considering what else they bring to the table it is very
healthy.

Earlier on this season though, he attempted ELEVEN shots in one match versus Augsburg - with a meagre 0.79 xG (a shot quality
of 0.07), and no goals. We would rather avoid performances like that! Thankfully, it seems to be a one off for him.

HEADING
For someone barely five foot ten (181cm), he is extremely competent in the air. And has shown a range of different headed goals,
with a fantastic leap.

Whether that would stand up to some of the brutes in the Premier League, who knows?

LINK-UP-PLAY
One of his biggest strengths is his ability to drop deeper and link up play, showing the physical side as well as some deft touches,
flicks, and one-touch link up around the penalty area.

Would fit perfectly in any of the front three roles, but to get his full potential we'd need to use him centrally to take advantage of
this side of his game.

I'm surprised his number of assists (12 in his league career) is so low. But then we have to keep reminding ourselves he is only
21.

PASSING
Not required to do much in the possession build up to goals, as shown by his 0.11 xGBuildUp90.

Still a very capable passer of the ball, as seen in his link up play.

CLOSING DOWN
Perhaps the most similar side in Germany to Liverpool, Leipzig press high, and Werner was signed to be a key component in that
system.

There's numerous clips in the scouting video I put together of Werner closing down and winning the ball back with - here we go
again - Firmino-like precision in the tackle. He's by no means as good as Bobby, but then who is? Nobody. Nevertheless Werner
would make an incredibly able deputy.

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MOVEMENT OFF THE BALL

Really wanted to give him a nine for this one, as alongside his link up play and dribbling, it is a stand out strength of Werner's.

This with the topic in the previous paragraph on 'closing down' or pressing, because that requires excellent off the ball
movement - but this context is more related to when Leipzig have the ball. And Werner excels, often creating space for other
players to exploit.

He can run off the back of defenders into wide open spaces.

He can find small pockets around the edge of the penalty area.

He can run the channels when direct balls are played.

He makes the correct decisions on counterattacks on which space to run into and get on the end of throughballs.

PACE
As mentioned in the main abilities section, Werner is very quick. Both short accelerations and also long sprints on counterattacks
for example. Both with and without the ball.

CHARACTER
BRAVERY - PHYSICAL
He's looks brave enough in the tackle. However the one issue hanging over Timo Werner is included in the notes section of this
report: coming off the field because of the noise in the stadium.

CAVEAT ALERT:

Werner may have had a preexisting condition or illness that was triggered or exasperated by the noise in the Besiktas stadium,
but if there was not an underlying condition, then this would be a big red flag for me. Not because he isn't 'brave' enough, but
this could be a serious medical condition if he's unable to stay balanced and continue playing because of the decibel levels in a
stadium. Especially coming to Anfield ...

ASSESSMENT
There are a few factors to consider when assessing Werner's potential transfer to Liverpool:

1) Most importantly, he is a perfect fit. Would slot into any of the front three roles, and Klopp could raise his ceiling in
terms of output just by being in a more creative side who dominate games regularly.

2) His transfer value has risen considerably over the past 18 months. Only a year ago on Transfer Markt he was valued
at £16m, and now that figure is up at £60m. If you consider their valuations are always on the low side, Werner might
cost anything up to £100m.

3) Judging values in the market these days is a minefield, and Leipzig would not be best pleased selling us their two
best players in one summer.

4) With that in mind, even if we pay £100m, at his age, with his potential, and after one season even scoring two thirds
of Salah's figures would propel Werner into the top group of valuable players in the world.

5) As I said in the report about Keita, there are plenty of other big fish circling around him. Bayern were furious they
passed up the opportunity to sign him. Man Utd have been linked for a while as well.

6) He has been known - and condemned - for diving. Many Liverpool fans are paragons of virtue after Kane and Alli's
'antics' this season and will not accept these dark arts anymore!

7) The player is perfect, the context is complicated. He fits into the FSG model of buying youngish players whose value
is likely to increase.

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COMMENTS
Notes and Research:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/sep/27/rb-leipzig-timo-werner-besiktas-crowd-noise

"The Germany striker was withdrawn after 32 minutes of the 2-0 defeat which left the Bundesliga side bottom of Group G, having
earlier asked for ear plugs in a bid to help him cope with the loud atmosphere inside the Vodafone Arena. Leipzig later revealed
that Werner had complained of suffering from “circulatory problems” and dizziness, with the 21-year-old now said to be “feeling
better” by the club.

“He asked to come off so I took him off,” he said. “It is impossible to prepare your team for an atmosphere like this. There was a
deafening noise [and] at the start of the game we were a bit affected.”

But Hasenhüttl also appeared to criticise Werner’s request to be withdrawn so early, hinting that the was disappointed in the
reaction of the player who has scored six goals in eight international appearances so far.

“For me, as coach, it is important to see who I can rely on in moments like these, who is prepared to defend himself against what
is going on on the pitch,” he said. “To encounter such an atmosphere was too much for some.”

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Link with Liverpool (Independent)

By Miguel Delaney

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/liverpool-transfer-news-rb-leipzig-timo-werner-a8254591.html

"The 22-year-old forward has developed hugely at the Bundesliga club, and attracted the attention of a few Premier League clubs
including Manchester United, but it is Jürgen Klopp who has shown by far the strongest interest. He wants to add depth to his
attacking options this summer.

There is also the concern that Werner has spoken in the past about how United would be his dream move, but Liverpool have so
far shown much more willingness to go for the forward."

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https://www.transfermarkt.com/timo-werner/marktwertverlauf/spieler/170527

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https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/dec/05/bundesliga-leipzig-timo-werner-dive-controversy

"Timo Werner scuffed his shot, then instinctively took his second chance – albeit in less style. He arched his back, let out a cry and
threw himself to the ground, creating the impression that the Schalke 04 keeper Ralf Fährmann, who had actually done well to
pull out of the challenge, had brought him down. The referee Sebastian Dankert fell for the phantom foul and awarded a penalty.
The irate Fährmann was booked. Werner himself stepped up to slot home the spot kick coolly to put RB Leipzig 1-0 ahead. They
eventually won 2-1 to stay both unbeaten and top, as well as firmly at the bottom of the popularity ratings.

Werner’s tumble wasn’t quite the worst dive in the history of the Bundesliga – Andy Möller still rules supreme in that respect –
but it caused a stir unlike any other act of simulation in recent years. This being Germany, much of the discontent was playing
out at meta-level, in complaints about the complaints. Wouldn’t all this public anger (“Der Falsch-Flieger”, the false flier, Bild called
the winger) have been better directed at the (alleged) tax fiddling by football superstars, as exposed by Der Spiegel and others,
rather than at a minor sporting misdemeanour by a 20-year-old, 21 seconds into a game, some observers wondered.

Matters were further complicated by a slight tug of Werner’s arm by the Schalke defender Naldo in the run-up to the fall. In the
aftermath of the final whistle, Werner at first insisted that he hadn’t in fact dived, but rather reacted a little late to the earlier foul
from Naldo. “It was not a dive,” the RB sporting director, Ralf Rangnick, insisted, too, the next day. “Timo could have gone down
earlier. Then there would have been no debate.”