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What's the story?
RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner has caught the eye of Real Madrid, who are all set to tempt the Bundesliga club with a €46 million offer in January, according to a report in Spanish news outlet, AS. Florentino Perez is desperate to ensure that an injury to Karim Benzema does not derail Real Madrid's season, since Karim Benzema and Borja Mayoral are the only two recognized central strikers in Zinedine Zidane's squad, despite the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo is also an option in that position.
Also Read: Scout Report, Timo Werner - Bundesliga's next big star
In case you didn't know...
Having come through the ranks at VfB Stuttgart, Timo Werner was the Bundesliga's side youngest ever player to make his debut - at the age of 17 years. Primarily used as a winger, Werner's star had begun to fade, which saw RB Leipzig pay a mere €10 million for him last summer. With manager Ralph Hasenhuttl shifting Werner to a central position, the German youngster's career took off, being involved in 28 goals in 32 games for the club last season (21 goals, 7 assists).
The heart of the matter
Werner has a fair number of Bundesliga records to his name - being the youngest player to ever score in a brace, while also the youngest to reach milestones of 50 games and 100 games. With 21 goals last season, the 21-year-old was the highest scoring German in the Bundesliga last season.
It has made him a key component of Joachim Loew's German squad, with Werner even winning the Golden Boot at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. However, Werner has faced plenty of boos and jeers in Germany, even when turning out for his national team, due to a high-profile dive in Leipzig's 2-1 win over Schalke last year. The player is reportedly frustrated and is looking for a move, with Real Madrid all set to pounce.
Also Read: Low unhappy with Germany fans over Werner treatment
Reports in Spain claim that Los Blancos are in the market for a promising young striker, after having missed out on Kylian Mbappe and with Borja Mayoral not deemed good enough by Zinedine Zidane and Florentino Perez. Madrid would like to tie up Werner's signing this January itself, although the player is likely to be cup-tied in the UEFA Champions League.
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Author's Take
Timo Werner's career trajectory is all set to make him one of the world's best in the coming few years, and Real Madrid are being clever in opting to sign him as early as possible, since his asking price is likely to increase.
