At a time when Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Roberto Firmino were the strongest front three, Liverpool was looking for a player who could fill in for them.
The team, with its Gegenpress, was looking for a speedy player and turned its attention to German forward Timo Werner.
At the time, he was a prolific goalscorer for RB Leipzig, scoring over 100 goals. Werner was always selected for his country’s national team, and was considered to be one of the most promising strikers of the next generation.
Liverpool tried to sign him, but the former Stuttgart forward decided to go to Chelsea.
In London, however, he did not achieve brilliant numbers and missed some crucial chances. In the summer of 2022, the fast-footed forward returned to his old club.
He landed back at RB Leipzig, but his second attempt was unsuccessful, and this winter he will be loaned out to Tottenham Hotspur, where he will try to make a comeback in the Premier League.
Neil Jones, a British journalist, noted the impact the German forward’s decision had on his career, saying that he would have scored more goals and won more titles had he stayed at Liverpool.
“I think he is a great example of a player whose career could have turned out very differently had he chosen his next move a little more carefully in key moments.”
“In 2020, he was very much on the agenda at Liverpool. They tracked him extensively, conducted detailed research into his background and character, and were engaged in a lengthy dialogue with RB Leipzig over a potential deal.”
“Chelsea, though, won the argument, convincing the player that he would be a more integral part of their side than at Anfield, where the established front three of Salah, Mane and Firmino was still in its pomp, and offering better personal terms in the process.”
“My personal feeling is that had Werner moved to Merseyside, he would have fitted in far better than he ever did in West London. I know he won the Champions League with Chelsea, but it is impossible to regard his transfer as a success, given he scored 10 Premier League goals in two seasons there.”
“He was the eighth of 11 penalty takers in a League Cup final shootout against Liverpool, and an unused sub in the FA Cup final a few months later. That tells you how his time at Stamford Bridge went.”
“Liverpool harbour few regrets. They signed Diogo Jota after missing out on Werner, and the Portuguese international has proven a very smart acquisition. I suspect Werner would have too, but we’ll never know.”
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