Timo Werner has informed RB Leipzig that he does not want to play in the club’s Champions League quarterfinal tie, provisionally scheduled for August, so he can push through a move to Chelsea, sources have told ESPN.
The 24-year-old has agreed to join the Blues on a five-year deal worth up to £200,000-a-week. Werner had a release clause which set his valuation dependent upon Leipzig’s finishing position in the Bundesliga but with three matches still to play, the two clubs negotiated a figure believed to be in the region of €53 million.
– Insider Notebook: The situation with Werner’s clause
He is yet to complete a medical due to coronavirus safety measures affecting movement in both Germany and England, but all parties expect a formal announcement to be made soon.
Werner is seeking to accelerate that process by confirming he would prefer to start life with his new club rather than complete Leipzig’s European campaign.
The Bundesliga is due to finish on June 27 but with other European leagues some way behind and travel restrictions still in place in many countries, UEFA are planning to stage the rest of this season’s Champions League in a mini-tournament format spread over 11 days in Lisbon in August.