Barcelona are reportedly considering a move for RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner as an alternative option in case they are unable to sign Lautaro Martinez from Inter Milan. Werner, who is on the final year of his contract at Leipzig, has been in fine form with his performances in the Bundesliga and has been linked with Bayern Munich and European winners Liverpool with the latter in a strong position to sign the 24-year-old. Barcelona though see him as an alternative option to Martinez and will only pursue if they fail to sign the Argentine striker. With football suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic the dates for the summer transfer window, which usually starts on June 1, is uncertain. James Rodriguez Transfer News Update: David Beckham Begins Talks With Real Madrid President Florentino Perez Over Bringing Colombian Star to Inter Miami.

Martinez will, however, command a huge fee with the 22-year-old seen as one of the best prospects in club football. Inter Milan are reportedly reluctant to sell him in the first place and even if they agree to do so, the fee will not be anything less than 100 million dollars. According to a report from Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona might be reluctant to pay–out the €111 million release clause of Martinez and could settle for Werner who is expected to cost around €60 million. The Catalans also share a good relationship with Leipzig but the same cannot be said with Inter. Neymar Always Reliable When Big Matches Come Around: PSG Coach Thomas Tuchel.

Interestingly, Lautaro Martinez’ contract at Inter ends on July 15 almost a month after Werner leaving Barcelona confused over who to deal with first. Werner has been exceptional since moving from VfB Stuttgart in 2016. He is the second-youngest player to appear in 100 Bundesliga matches and helped Leipzig qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in the club’s history. He has already represented Germany in 29 matches and found the net 11 times.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 23, 2020 01:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).