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Schäfer comments on Timo Werner’s situation at Leipzig

After his proposed transfer to the New York Red Bulls collapsed in the summer, Timo Werner has once again returned to the Leipzig squad. In the 2024/25 season, he won the Europa League with Tottenham Hotspur, even though he played only a minor role.

Now, he was once again left out of the squad for the Bundesliga matchday against Mainz 05 and has only been participating in training so far.

“At the moment, the coach has decided to favour others when it comes to the matchday squad,” said Marcel Schäfer, sporting director at RB Leipzig, on the Sport1 programme "Doppelpass", when asked about Werner’s situation in the team.

With the signings of Conrad Harder, Rômulo, Johan Bakayoko, and Yan Diamonde, Leipzig have brought in young, talented players, behind whom Werner must now take his place.

Werner’s prospects were discussed with him, and “that’s why we suggested to him in the summer that if he wants to be a regular player and get plenty of playing time, it might be better for him to look elsewhere,” Schäfer explained.

Werner, whose contract runs until 2026, does not fit into the new salary structure that Schäfer introduced when he took office in 2024.

According to Bild, his annual salary is around €10 million - twice as much as the next highest earners, such as David Raum and Lukas Klostermann.

“We respect contracts, he is part of our squad, and the performance principle counts,” Schäfer added. This means that Werner, whose last appearance for Leipzig was in December 2023, still has a chance to get playing time, even though it seems very unlikely at the moment.

“We are really in good communication, and he is not giving up,” Schäfer concluded.