Transfer on the Horizon
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Following an unproductive loan at Tottenham Hotspur, Timo Werner, a former German national team forward, is poised to make his move to Major League Soccer. Transfermarkt has confirmed reports from Leipziger Volkszeitung that the 29-year-old striker will be departing RB Leipzig to join sister club New York Red Bulls. With a market value of €7 million, Werner is expected to become the most valuable player on the Red Bulls roster.
Currently under contract with Leipzig until the summer of 2026, Werner spent the previous 18 months on loan at Tottenham, making 41 appearances and scoring three goals. He was also left out of the Europa League squad, missing out on the team’s title win against Manchester United in the spring. Consequently, Tottenham chose not to secure Werner on a permanent basis.
In New York, Werner will reunite with former teammate Emil Forsberg and his old Bundesliga coach Sandro Schwarz. The team also features former Mainz defender Alexander Hack and Bayern Munich striker Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting, who is currently third in MLS goal scoring with 11 goals in 18 matches. The duo is anticipated to form a formidable attacking partnership.
A Fresh Start in MLS – What Can Timo Werner Bring to the New York Red Bulls?
Werner reached the pinnacle of his career in 2020 when he transferred to Chelsea for €53 million from RB Leipzig. With Chelsea, he won the Champions League a year later. However, he struggled to adapt at the club and returned to Leipzig for €20 million in the summer of 2022. In hindsight, this move proved to be a significant misstep, as Werner failed to recapture his goal-scoring prowess from his initial tenure at Leipzig and subsequently moved to Tottenham.
Instead of heading back to Leipzig for a third time, Werner has leveraged his connection with Red Bull to transition to New York. This move to MLS is viewed as a chance for reinvention after a period during which Werner struggled to meet his potential. The Red Bulls see Werner as an essential addition to their squad after narrowly losing the final to LA Galaxy last year (2-1). Still maintaining his speed, Werner is expected to complement Choupo-Moting’s play and help nurture the development of young talents like Julian Hall.