Timo Werner back to the Premier League? Struggling striker weighing January transfer options with New York Red Bulls expected to return with RB Leipzig exit imminent

According to Sport Bild, Leipzig have no plans to extend Werner’s contract, which runs until June 2026, and would prefer to sell him in January, even if it means accepting a cut-price fee. His €10 million-a-year wages remain a major issue, as he is the club’s top earner. The 29-year-old had been frozen out before the season began but worked his way back into Ole Werner’s squad after impressing in training. He returned to the matchday squad against Koln and marked his Bundesliga comeback a week later with a one-minute long cameo in Wolfsburg, almost two years since his last appearance.

Amid the uncertainty over Werner’s future, Leipzig’s sister club New York Red Bulls are once again being tipped as a potential destination after showing interest in the summer. But the striker won’t be short of options. He is open to staying in the Bundesliga or testing himself again in England, France, or Spain, with a Premier League return very much on the table.

Notably, Werner made the big-money move to Chelsea back in 2020, winning the Champions League in his first season. By 2022 he was back at Leipzig, but the spark that made him one of Europe’s most feared forwards never quite returned. That led to a loan move to Tottenham in January 2024, where he had some moments but still struggled for consistency. Now, with his Leipzig future hanging in the balance, it feels like another big decision is coming for the German.

Sporting director Marcel Schafer had earlier stressed that the door is by no means closed for the striker. He praised the Werner's attitude, saying the German international has been 'very professional' and that their communication has been 'really good.' Schafer added that Werner hasn’t given up and remains a full part of the squad. 

"I’ve never known a manager who leaves his best players at home and doesn’t include them in the squad," he said, making it clear that Werner will get opportunities if he earns them.

This means that last Saturday's brief appearance may not have been Werner's last game of the season for Leipzig, at least, that's what the Leipzig manager suggested when he hinted that more minutes could follow. For now, Werner might still pop up in a Leipzig shirt, but it feels like his long-term future lies elsewhere. January could finally bring the fresh start he has been waiting for.