Timo Werner, RB Leipzig

'Werner can help many teams' - Kimmich a fan of RB Leipzig striker amid Bayern links

Bayern Munich defender Joshua Kimmich has heaped praise on RB Leipzig star Timo Werner ahead of their clash in Saturday’s German Cup final.

The 23-year-old striker has been strongly linked with a summer move to the Bundesliga champions after firing 16 goals for Leipzig and spearheading their run to an impressive third-place finish.

Kimmich enthused to Sportbuzzer: “He’s incredibly fast. He is strong on his right and left foot and is also good with his head. He’s a great finisher too.”

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Asked if Werner could slot in effectively at the Allianz Arena, Kimmich commented: “Of course it’s a different game for us. But, in principle, a striker of Timo’s quality, who has scored about 10 to 15 goals, for two or three years consecutively can help many teams.”

Kimmich, 24, made the switch to Bayern from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2015 and has been a model of consistency, featuring in 55 games in all competitions this season.

He is set to feature on Saturday as Bayern look to complete a domestic league and cup double against his former club who have made a real impact in the top flight since their promotion at the end of the 2015-16 season.

Their rise to prominence has come as no surprise to their former favourite.

“I did expect that they would rise to the Bundesliga and have an impact there although the fact that they became a top club so quickly was probably a surprise for everyone,” says Kimmich. "The quality was certainly there though.”

Kimmich is relishing Saturday’s reunion but expects a tight affair following on from the goalless draw between the two sides in the Bundesliga a fortnight ago.

“We know how RB play and they know how we play,” says Kimmich. “Their strength is in their defending. They conceded the fewest goals in the Bundesliga. But we know that when we are at our best we can win. I assume we will have more possession and then it depends how much we let RB come into the game.

“We did it well in the last meeting and we need to do it again at the weekend. Then we can win.”

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