Timo Werner is closing in on a move to the San Jose Earthquakes, reports have revealed.
The 29-year-old, a Champions League winner with Chelsea, returned to RB Leipzig last summer after a disappointing loan spell with Tottenham Hotspur, but he has tumbled well down the pecking order back in Germany.
Werner has just 13 minutes of action across three appearances this season, two of which came in Leipzig’s final two games before the Bundesliga’s winter break.
A switch to Major League Soccer has been touted since late last year. Red Bull New York, under the same Red Bull umbrella, were seen as a possible destination, as were LAFC and LA Galaxy.
Subsequent reports claimed Werner was eyeing a move to join Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, but The Athletic state the left-sided forward is taking his talents to San Jose instead.
Werner is expected to join the Quakes as a designated player and will fill the void left behind by Josef Martínez’s departure to Tijuana in Mexico. Another DP spot remains vacant.
Werner Desperate to Reignite Stagnating Career
Still only 29 years old, Werner has spent the past few seasons struggling for form on a spectacular slump which felt almost impossible just a few years ago.
Werner was one of Europe’s most-feared marksmen during his first stint with Leipzig and peaked in the 2019–20 season, in which he netted 28 goals in just 34 Bundesliga games. Liverpool were expected to take him to the Premier League before Chelsea hijacked a deal worth around £47.5 million ($59 million at the time).
It was after his switch to Stamford Bridge in 2020 that things began to go south for Werner. While always a popular figure, struggles on the field saw him register 23 goals across 89 games before being sold back to Leipzig for half his initial cost two years later, although not before helping the Blues lift the Champions League trophy under Thomas Tuchel.
He failed to recapture his best form upon his return to Leipzig and was loaned to Tottenham in January 2024. Things started positively and his initial six-month spell was extended until the summer of 2025, but he fell out of favor under Ange Postecoglou and the deal was not made permanent.
Back in Leipzig as one of the club’s highest earners, Werner was quickly informed he was not wanted for the 2025–26 season. A switch to New York was discussed last summer but never agreed, leaving Werner on the sidelines for the majority of the last six months before the Quakes’ offer of a lifeline.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Timo Werner Nearing Move to Surprise MLS Team—Report.
