Newcastle United are hopeful of landing Chelsea misfit Timo Werner before the end of the summer but may encounter issues in their pursuit of the German forward. Werner is poised to leave Stamford Bridge this month as he seeks regular first-team minutes ahead of the Qatar World Cup this winter.
Eddie Howe is desperate to improve his attacking options in the coming weeks and Werner is one of many players Newcastle are considering. Chelsea are open to allowing the 26-year-old to leave on loan with a permanent clause included in any deal.
However, Newcastle are not alone in chasing Werner's signature this summer. Former club RB Leipzig have enquired about a potential reunion at the Red Bull Arena, with Chelsea keen to take highly-rated full-back Josko Gvardiol in return.
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"Timo Werner isn't my player, isn't our player. He is a player from Chelsea," Leipzig boss Domenico Tedesco said this week. "Therefore, I have a clear opinion on this. To not express myself, to not position myself on players, who aren't part of our club, who aren't under contract in our club. In my opinion, that's a matter of respect. That's an important principle, which I set up for me."
Then there is Juventus, who were among the first clubs to stake their claim well before the summer transfer window opened. Werner's agent, Volker Struth, visited the Italian club's training facilities back in February to hold a face-to-face meeting with sporting director Federico Cherubini. Arsenal and Real Madrid are two other sides tracking Werner's situation and would be able to offer the forward European football this season.
As well as the major competition, the striker's astronomical wages may also cause a problem. Earning around £270,000-a-week, Werner ranks among the highest earners in west London under Thomas Tuchel.
Newcastle have been reluctant to smash their current wage structure this summer and will need the Blues to continue paying a hefty chunk of Werner's wages, totalling around 50 per cent. Any permanent move away from Chelsea would likely see the player take a big wage cut.
Newcastle are also mulling over an improved bid for Leicester City midfielder James Maddison after their opening £35m offer was rebuffed. Brendan Rodgers joked on Sunday the first bid would only would only 'cover three-quarters of his left leg'.
Howe made no secret of his desire to add attacking bodies over the weekend, telling reporters there was a sense of frustration at the lack of movement in the market. Quizzed over whether a deal was possible before this Saturday's clash with Nottingham Forest, the Magpies boss admitted work was being put in behind the scenes to secure another addition.
“Never say never,” he said. “I’ve been in the game long enough to not give you a definite answer on that. As the days tick by, it seems more and more unlikely. But we are trying, as we have been all window. We’re desperate to try and improve the group if we can, with the right player.”
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