RB Leipzig have reportedly made Timo Werner surplus to requirements with days remaining of the summer transfer window.
The former Chelsea striker has been on loan at Tottenham Hotspur since January last year, but returned to his parent club when the 2024–25 season concluded. Werner played just once after mid-January, having been beset by muscle injuries, so Spurs unsurprisingly did not take up a reported £8.5million option to make the move permanent.
However, he did not feature during their pre-season preparations after returning to Leipzig. Werner is training with the team, but remains absent from their matchday squads thus far.
Bild reports that the club have announced internally that he is effectively surplus to requirements. They are said to consider his weekly wages, which are reputedly around £166,000 per week, too expensive.
The former Germany international managed 16 goals across 40 appearances during his first season after returning from Chelsea. However, he scored just twice in 14 games before joining Tottenham, for whom he found the back of the net only three times despite making 41 outings under former Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou.
The publication adds that during open training on Tuesday, Werner worked separately for the final part of the session alongside fellow out-of-favour players Eljif Elmas, Kevin Kampl and Lukas Klostermann. However, despite being frozen out, he is reputedly unresponsive to enquiries from other clubs.
Werner is said to have rejected Burnley and Leeds United, having previously turned down New York Red Bulls. England, however, is considered a popular choice compared to France, Italy, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
The 29-year-old is into the final 12 months of a four-year contract signed when rejoining in the summer of 2026. As such, Bild states the player will fulfil his deal before leaving as a free agent this time next year.
Here at LeedsLive, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Leeds United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest Leeds news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.