Timo Werner has been warned he risks suffering a similar fate to Naby Keita if he leaves RB Leipzig.
Keita traded the Bundesliga outfit for Liverpool last summer in a £57 million deal but is yet to recapture the former glories of his time at the Red Bull Arena.
Werner could be soon set to follow the midfield enforcer out of Leipzig, with Anfield among the viable destinations available to the in-demand striker.
But head coach Ralf Rangnick used Keita’s failure to launch with the Reds as a cautionary tale to the Germany international as his future remains undecided.
“Keita was an outstanding player here, but he’s still struggling in Liverpool,” he told Sky Germany.
“So far, he’s not the player there that he was here. The surroundings must be right for Timo. That’s the case here.
“We have gone to our financial limit with our offer. We know that he can earn more elsewhere, but he can also provide for himself for the rest of his life here.
“The financial aspect will not be the decisive factor, but rather the sporting perspective. We’re trying to keep him. He knows he’s very popular in the team, with the coach and the fans.
“He’s a top player, and he has become one of the most exciting Bundesliga strikers in the country. He still has a year-and-a-half left of his contract, and I hope that he’ll stay.
“But in the end, it’s up to him.”
Werner has enjoyed another solid season at Leipzig with 13 goals in 21 outings.