European club ahead of Juventus in race to sign 26-year-old Chelsea star - Reports

German outfit Red Bull Leipzig are reportedly leading the race for Chelsea forward Timo Werner.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Leipzig are ahead of both Juventus and Newcastle United, who were also interested in Werner's signature. Romano recently tweeted about the 26-year-old's situation:

"Leipzig are now pushing more than Juventus for Timo Werner, after the meeting with Chelsea on Sunday - still waiting to see if there’s room for a swap deal."

The Blues are rumored to be interested in Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol and could look to entice the Bundesliga club into a swap deal. Romano further added in his tweet:

"He’s [Werner] the main target for RB Leipzig, leading the race over Juventus. No direct talks yet with Newcastle."

Sky Sports also reported that Leipzig were keen to sign Werner, stating that talks between the two clubs were running at full speed. The German forward is rumored to be looking to move out of Stamford Bridge in search of regular game-time ahead of this year's FIFA World Cup.

Werner started just 24 times last season for Thomas Tuchel's side, making 38 appearances in total. He scored 11 goals and laid out six assists, both of which were drop-offs from the 2020-21 season where he recorded 12 goals and 15 assists.

The forward notably spent four years at Leipzig before joining the Blues in the summer of 2020. Werner made 158 appearances across competitions for the Bundesliga side, netting 93 times and providing 40 assists.

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Chelsea gear up for new Premier League campaign after mixed pre-season

Chelsea endured a largely inconsistent preseason in the build-up to the 2022-23 club season. They played five matches, winning three and losing two. Tuchel's men scored eight goals and conceded seven.

The Blues kicked off their preparations with a 2-1 win against Club America before drawing 1-1 with Charlotte FC in regulation time. The Major League Soccer side went on to win the match on penalties.

They suffered their biggest defeat of the preseason against arch-rivals Arsenal, who handed them a 4-0 thrashing in the Florida Cup final. Chelsea bounced back by recording a 3-1 win against Udinese Calcio before picking up a 2-0 win against Udinese XI to complete their preparations.

The Blues will begin the 2022-23 season with their Premier League opener against Everton at Goodison Park on August 6. Tuchel's troops will then feature in an early blockbuster clash against Tottenham Hotspur in their second league fixture on August 14.