Timo Werner branded 'lazy as hell' as RB Leipzig bench role continues with ex-Chelsea striker tipped to make MLS move in January after snubbing New York Red Bulls offer

Werner has been reduced to a benchwarmer at Leipzig following his return from a loan spell at Tottenham, making a solitary one-minute substitute appearance in the Bundesliga win against Wolfsburg on Saturday. Leipzig attempted to offload him in the summer, with New York Red Bulls offering him a contract, only for the forward to reject it.

Guido Schafer, a reporter for the Leipziger Volkszeitung, revealed a damning assessment of Werner's attitude from former Leipzig coach Ralf Rangnick. Speaking on Sport1:, he said: "Rangnick once told me: 'If I had selected the players based on training performance, Timo Werner wouldn't have seen a kick-off on the pitch.' He's truly lazy as hell in training."

However, Schafer noted that Werner's difficult situation has seemingly forced a change in approach. 

"I asked him: 'Timo, what's wrong with you? Are you starting to train seriously now?' He said: 'Yes.'"

Despite a potential change in attitude, Schäfer believes Werner's future at the club is limited. He stated he "couldn't imagine" the 29-year-old carving out a role beyond that of a late substitute, where his pace could be an asset. A departure now seems increasingly likely, with a move to the United States on the cards after a summer transfer failed to materialise. 

"Personally, I believe he'll move to New York this winter," Schafer said. "I got him an apartment in Leipzig, and when he was about to move to New York this summer, I thought Ole Werner [Leipzig coach] could move in there and we'd save on the nameplate, 'Werner' would stay. Maybe we can make up for that in the winter."

With a contract running until 2026 and a reported salary of around €11 million per year, Werner's lack of contribution is a significant issue for Leipzig. His return to the club from Chelsea in 2022 has not been a success, and after a loan spell at Tottenham last season, a permanent move away appears to be the most logical solution for all parties. The January transfer window will be a crucial period, with MLS clubs, particularly those within the Red Bull network, expected to be the leading candidates for his signature.

"Without Timo Werner, RB Leipzig wouldn't have been so successful," Schafer said in his defence. "He scored 113 goals in four years here, along with 45 assists, something many people forget. He didn't get the contract he has now, with a ten or eleven million euro salary per year, because he held a knife to his contracting partner's throat; he earned it."