Borussia Dortmund have identified Chelsea forward Timo Werner as an alternative to Red Bull Salzburg’s Karim Adeyemi, Sky Germany reports.
The Bundesliga giants are likely to reinforce their strike force this summer with Erling Braut Haaland potentially on his way out of the club.
The Norwegian has a release clause worth €75 million in his contract which becomes active in June, and he is already attracting high-profile interest.
It has been known that Dortmund want to sign Adeyemi, but a deal appears far from straightforward with Salzburg reluctant to negotiate on the fee.
The Austrian outfit want around €40m for the marksman, but Dortmund are only willing to offer €30m plus add-ons.
Amidst this, they appear to have identified Werner as an alternative option. Chelsea are not considering his exit but are willing to hold transfer talks.
It is unclear what kind of deal Dortmund are after, but it has been claimed that the player’s €16m annual wages could prove a stumbling block.
Captain Marco Reus is their highest earner at €12m-per-year, and Werner may have to accept a pay-cut to secure a potential switch back to Germany.
Werner had an exceptional final season with RB Leipzig in 2019/2020, bagging 34 goals and 13 assists from 45 appearances across all competitions.
He has struggled to replicate the showing since his move to London. He has registered 18 goals and 17 assists from 75 outings for Thomas Tuchel’s side.
The German has recently fallen out of favour with just 121 minutes since mid-December. There appears a realistic possibility that he could push for an exit.
The Blues may want to recoup the entire €53m fee paid two years ago, but this seems unlikely judging by his struggles at club level over the past 20 months.
Dortmund previously pursued Michy Batshuayi on a short-term loan from the Blues. The Belgian was a big hit, bagging nine goals from 14 games.
They could make a season-long loan proposal for Werner, but with an option to buy this time. It remains to be seen whether the Blues entertain such an offer.
A return to Bundesliga could help revive Werner’s club career, given his past success. It would put him in fine shape ahead of Germany’s World Cup campaign.
