As expected, Timo Werner is leaving the Bundesliga club RB Leipzig and is looking for happiness in the USA. According to dpa information, the ex-national player is moving to the MLS to the San José Earthquakes. An official confirmation is still pending, but only formalities remain to be clarified. The attacker’s contract, who no longer played a sporting role at RB, would have expired in the summer.
“Basically, things are on the home stretch,” said coach Ole Werner. Werner will not be in the squad for the game against FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday (3:30 p.m./Sky), the coach confirmed. However, for family reasons, Werner could still train in Leipzig in February; this is currently being clarified. “He will receive all our support so that he is well prepared for his new task,” said the 37-year-old.
There was already contact between Werner’s side and the club from California in December. Preparation for the MLS season begins in these weeks for most teams. The first game is on February 22nd against Kansas City. Last summer there was talk of a move to the New York Red Bulls for the 29-year-old, but Werner decided to stay in Leipzig. There he made three short appearances and a total of just over ten Bundesliga minutes.
At San José, Werner is likely to become one of the team’s top earners. A place is planned for the Swabian as a so-called designated player, which means the salary is freely negotiable. According to media reports, Werner received a salary of around ten million euros a year in Leipzig. In terms of sport, the Earthquakes are not a flagship of the MLS; they missed the playoffs in recent seasons.
Werner’s second time in Leipzig ends unsuccessfully. The 57-time national player returned to the Saxons from Chelsea in the summer of 2022 for 20 million euros. Two years earlier, Werner went to England for 53 million euros. He was unable to repeat his most successful period, when he scored 28 goals in the 2019/20 Bundesliga season.
