Liverpool have reportedly stepped up their interest in RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner.
Bayern Munich previously appeared to be leading the race for the highly-rated striker, whose contract with the Bundesliga outfit is set to expire next summer.
But reports in Germany now suggest that the Reds are preparing to rival their Champions League last 16 opponents in the race for Werner’s signature.
SportBild claim Anfield officials have contacted their Leipzig counterparts to be kept updated on developments concerning the 23-year-old’s immediate future.
Werner is yet to commit to a long-term extension to his current deal but the club’s manager Ralf Rangnick shot down claims he had agreed to join Bayern.
“A possible agreement is impossible for 2019 [right now]. We would have to agree, and we are not,” he said last week.
“Nobody has approached us from Bayern. There will not be a case like Leon Goretzka and Robert Lewandowski between us and Timo Werner.
“This option does not exist and we do not need to talk about this scenario. Clubs that want him will report in the summer and then we will find a fair, mutually agreed solution.
“Everything else is not an option.”