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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
William Pickworth

'Not to attack our manager' - Timo Werner makes Jurgen Klopp claim after Liverpool transfer interest

Chelsea striker Timo Werner has revealed he nearly signed for Liverpool and said ‘they were a big possibility for me’ before he arrived at Stamford Bridge.

Werner was heavily linked with Liverpool before his £53m move to Chelsea in 2020 where he has scored 29 goals in 89 appearances. The German was speaking ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup final as his side seek to avoid their third successive defeat in the Wembley showpiece. Liverpool are aiming to win their second title of the season after their Carabao Cup final victory on penalties over Chelsea.

Werner, who also revealed that he nearly signed for Jurgen Klopp while the striker was at Stuttgart and Klopp managed Borussia Dortmund, has explained how close he was to making the move to Anfield. “Of course Liverpool were also in my thoughts and were a big possibility for me, but at the end I decided for Chelsea and I won the Champions League title last year so it was not the worst decision! I think I have known him [Klopp] for many years before because when I was in Stuttgart he talked about going to Dortmund.”

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Both Klopp and Chelsea counterpart Thomas Tuchel spent time managing Dortmund and Werner hailed both managers as among the best in the world. He said: “Jurgen Klopp is one of the best coaches we had in Germany. Not to attack our manager, but over the past year he won the most titles. But he has a very nice personality. A personality that the German people love because he seems like fun.

“Thomas Tuchel is also a brilliant manager. He won also a lot of titles. He is on a level now where when you say who are the best managers, you have only now Klopp, him and Guardiola maybe at the moment.”

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