The Athletic’s Liverpool correspondent James Pearce has rubbished the idea that the club could loan Timo Werner back to RB Leipzig if they sign him this summer, per The Red Agenda podcast (March 10th, 48:44).

What’s the word?

Bild has reported that the Reds could strike a deal to sign the Germany international in the upcoming summer transfer window before potentially sending him back to the Bundesliga for the 2020/21 season.

Werner has scored 27 goals in all competitions this season in 35 games, prior to the Champions League clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday evening, and a separate Athletic piece has claimed that the Reds can secure his services for £51m should they bid before an unspecified date in April.

And Pearce does not believe that Liverpool will take steps to send Werner back from whence he came.

He said: “I'd be surprised if that was true. One of the basics of Liverpool wanting someone like Timo Werner is that next season they'd be losing two of their elite attackers for at least a month, if not six weeks for the African Cup of Nations.

“You've also got the potential issue of the Olympics if that goes ahead.

“So it wouldn't make an awful lot of sense to me.”

Ready to go

This is not the case of Liverpool snapping up a young talent without the ability to immediately slot into the first-team.

Werner is 24 and has been exceptional ever since his move to Leipzig, scoring 88 goals in 149 appearances and also providing 38 assists.

In addition to that, he has won 29 caps for Germany, scoring 11 goals.

Call yourself a Liverpool expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

There is little need to send him back to the German club.

Instead, he will surely be going straight into the Reds’ first-team, the question is more about who he may replace.

One has to believe that it could be Roberto Firmino but even if he doesn’t start the first game of next season, he will be an incredible weapon off the bench.

One has to think that Pearce is right here.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have been given a major update involving coronavirus!