Timo Werner: Tottenham announce loan deal for RB Leipzig forward for rest of season with option to buy

Tottenham have agreed a deal to sign RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner on loan for the rest of the season with an option to buy.

The Premier League side made the announcement on Tuesday and said: "We are delighted to announce the signing of Timo Werner on loan from RB Leipzig, subject to international clearance.

"The Germany international will join the club on loan until the end of the season, with an option to make the deal permanent in the summer. He will wear the number 16 shirt."

The 27-year-old German striker will be expected to lead the line in the absence of Heung-min Son, who is on international duty with South Korea at the Asia Cup.

Son has scored 12 goals for Tottenham in 21 appearances so far this season, becoming the lead striker for the team after the departure of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich in the summer.

Werner is returning for his second spell in the Premier League after an unsuccessful stint at Chelsea, having joined from RB Leipzig in 2020 for £45 million.

He arrived at Stamford Bridge with a big reputation but failed to meet expectations, netting just 10 times in 56 league games before returning to Leipzig two years later for £25m.

In recent weeks it had been reported that Werner was unsettled in Germany and wanted a return to England. He was heavily linked with Manchester United as support for their summer signing Rasmus Hojlund but Tottenham later emerged as the front-runners to acquire his services.

Werner has scored twice in eight games for Leipzig in the Bundesliga, so Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou will be hoping to improve that return as he aims to lead his side to a top-four finish.

Postecoglou has enjoyed a strong start to life in north London since arriving from Celtic.

They have seen a number of players leave in the January transfer window, with Eric Dier poised to link up with Bayern Munich, and Ivan Perisic surplus to requirements. Veteran goalkeeper Hugo Llors departed for MLS side Los Angeles FC.

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.