It’s no secret that Paris Saint-Germain will be looking for a striker this summer.
Edinson Cavani is the club’s all-time leading scorer but his contract expires in June and he will most likely move on to a new club.
Mauro Icardi was thought to be the ideal replacement but it’s hard to imagine PSG paying the €70 million required to turn his loan from Inter Milan into a permanent transfer.
The 27-year-old didn’t play at all for PSG against Borussia Dortmund and according to recent reports, he would prefer a move back to Italy rather than signing long-term for PSG.
We also saw PSG manager, Thomas Tuchel, try playing Kylian Mbappé as a striker in the first leg against Dortmund and we saw how isolated and inefficient he was in that role.
With those two players likely moving on this summer and Mbappé not being a pure striker, PSG will need to bring in a world-class striker.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Arsenal FC is one possible solution given his contract situation and it was recently reported that FC Barcelona would take €100 million for Antoine Griezmann. However, there’s one name that I believe would be better than both of those players.
RB Leipzig’s sporting director, Markus Krosche, recently told Sport1 (via ESPN) that the coronavirus pandemic could keep Liverpool FC from signing Timo Werner who can play center-forward and on the wing.
“We can’t say how the transfer market will develop. We are starring into a very foggy crystal ball. We don’t know how our resources will be and what options other clubs might have.”
The ESPN article indicates that Werner’s contract, which runs until 2023, has a release clause of approximately €55 million. That’s a bargain for a player of his quality and why teams like Liverpool, Manchester United, and Manchester City are all interested in his services.
Werner has dropped hints that he would prefer a move to Liverpool but the club may be reluctant to spend that kind of money on a luxury player they don’t really need. Remember, before the Premier League was suspended, the Reds held a 25-point-lead over Manchester City at the top of the table.
Any hesitation could open up the door for PSG. The Ligue 1 leaders have a lot of money coming off their books this summer and €55 million would be a below-market value price to pay for a player of Werner’s quality.
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