After an unhappy spell in the Premier League, Timo Werner is back at RB Leipzig, where he made his name. The striker scored on his Bundesliga return but his side dropped points for the second week running.
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A little bit of luck is an essential part of every striker's career and Timo Werner's return to RB Leipzig was sprinkled with the type of fortune that deserted him at Chelsea.
The German forward roared with delight when a potshot from 25-yards slipped through goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe's hands and rippled the back of the net to ensure a scoring return to the Red Bull Arena.
Having been the leading man for Leipzig during his first spell, scoring 95 times in 156 appearances across all competitions, Werner was plagued by insecurity and few opportunities in front of goal during his time in the Premier League.
And, the 26-year-old admitted feeling moved on his return to playing in eastern Germany, telling Sky: "It was very emotional, it was something special for me to come back here after two years. 70 percent of the team still knows me, so it wasn't so hard to get back in."
Bundesliga transfer window 2022 - updates
It's been a busy window for Bayern Munich so far, but other Bundesliga clubs have also been active in the market.
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Filip Kostic (Eintracht Frankfurt → Juventus)
Filip Kostic (third from right) has completed a move to Juventus. The Serie A club have announced that the 29-year-old Serbian international has penned a deal through June 2026. Eintracht received €12 million ($12.34 million) for the left winger, who had been a mainstay of Frankfurt's attack since arriving at the club in 2018. Kostic had 33 goals and 64 assists in his 171 matches for the Eagles.
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Timo Werner (Chelsea → RB Leipzig)
Timo Werner is back at RB Leipzig after an underwhelming two-years at Chelsea. The 26-year-old became Leipzig's record scorer in his first four-year stint at the club, netting 95 goals in 159 games. But he couldn't replicate that scoring rate at Chelsea. RB paid a reported €20 million for the Germany international, less than half what the Premier League club had paid for him two seasons ago.
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Anthony Modeste (Cologne → Borussia Dortmund)
After the news of Sebastien Haller's testicular tumor, Dortmund moved to snap up the French forward from Cologne. The 34-year-old arrives with years of Bundesliga experience. He's scored 70 goals in 145 games in two spells at Cologne and also played in Germany for Hoffenheim. Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl called him "a perfect fit for the football Edin Terzic wants to play at BVB."
Bayern Munich are looking to shore up a leaky defense by signing defender Matthijs de Ligt from Italian record champions Juventus. The 22-year-old Dutch international has agreed a contract through the end of the 2026-27 season. Juventus said they had received € 67 million ($68 million), which cold rise by as much as € 10.0 million based upon performance bonuses.
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Robet Lewandowski (Bayern Munich → Barcelona)
The want-away Poland international finally got his way after weeks of wrangling with the record German champions. Barcelona have said they paid Bayern Munich €45 million euros ($46 million) plus €5 million euros ($5.1 million) in variables for Robert Lewandowski, who scored 344 goals in 375 appearances for Bayern Munich. Lewandowski was voted The Best FIFA Men's Player in 2020 and 2021.
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Sebastien Haller (Ajax → Borussia Dortmund)
Sebastien Haller is the man Dortmund hope can fill the boots of Erling Haaland. The 28-year-old has signed a four-year contract at BVB, sealing his move from Dutch champions Ajax, for an initial transfer fee of €31 million ($31.5 million). Sadly, shortly after moving to BVB, Haller was found to have a testicular tumor. He has vowed to "come back stronger" after his recovery.
Image: Borussia Dortmund
Taiwo Awoniyi (Union Berlin → Nottingham Forest)
"The Premier League is my dream," said Taiwo Awoniyi back in February, and now that dream has come true. After 25 goals in 65 games over the last two seasons for Union Berlin, the Nigerian striker has completed a €20.5m move to newly promoted Premier League side Nottingham Forest, signing a five-year contract at The City Ground.
Image: Nottingham Forest FC
Mario Götze (PSV Eindhoven → Frankfurt)
Two years after leaving Borussia Dortmund to join PSV Eindhoven, Germany's 2014 World Cup winning goalscorer is back in the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt. Mario Götze struggled to replicate his Maracana heroics in club football, failing to make an impact at either BVB or Bayern Munich. But after two years in the Netherlands (18 goals in 77 games for PSV), he's looking to answer his critics.
The signing of Liverpool's Senegalese star striker is a genuine coup for Bayern Munich – and also for the Bundesliga, a league so used to seeing top players head in the opposition direction to Premier League clubs. For €32m, potentially rising to €41m, the German champions have a player whose goals (120 in 269 appearances for Liverpool) could help replace the departed Robert Lewandowski.
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Erling Haaland (BVB → Manchester city)
After two-and-a-half years in Dortmund, the Norwegian goal machine is taking the inevitable step to the Premier League – to reigning champions Manchester city, where his father Alf Inge once played, for €75m. Having netted an scarcely believable 85 goals in 88 games for BVB, contributing substantially to the German Cup win in 2021, the Black & Yellows will have a job on their hands to replace him.
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Noussair Mazraoui (Ajax → Bayern Munich)
In 24-year-old Ajax rightback Mazraoui, Bayern head coach Julian Nagelsmann has ticked a key name off his summer shopping list. The Dutch-born Moroccan international was part of the Ajax team which won Eredivisie titles in 2019, 2021 and 2022, and is expected to replace Benjamin Pavard, who is likely to move inside from righback to central defense.
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Ryan Gravenberch (Ajax → Bayern Munich)
Mazraoui's Ajax teammate Ryan Gravenberch is also on the way to Munich, with the 20-year-old expected to strengthen Bayern's midfield after signing a five-year deal. "Ryan is a highly interesting, young player who many top European clubs would liked to have signed," commented Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn – but Gravenberch will have some serious competition for a place in the starting line-up.
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Adam Hlozek (Sparta Prague → Leverkusen)
Still only 19, Adam Hlozek already has four seasons with Sparta Prague under his belt, having become the club's youngest ever player when he made his debut on 10 November 2018, aged just 16 years, three months and 16 days. Since then, he's scored 40 goals in 105 games, plus 15 appearances for the Czech national team. Now he's set to link up with compatriot Patrik Schick at Bayer Leverkusen.
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Xaver Schlager (Wolfsburg → RB Leipzig)
Already an established Bundesliga operator after three seasons with Wolfsburg, bullish Austrian midfielder Schlager has signed a four-year deal with RB Leipzig – against whom he suffered a knee ligament tear back in September, putting him out for most of the season. Having come through the ranks at Red Bull Salzburg, the 24-year-old should fit in at sister club Leipzig.
After suffering a muscle injury, the 30-year-old goalkeeper missed the end of the season and had to watch from the stands as his Hertha Berlin teammates battled to stay in the Bundesliga via a playoff. Now, after two years in the capital, the former Freiburg stopper could have another relegation battle on his hands with a loan move to newly repromoted Schalke, whose main aim can only be: stay up.
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Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich → Lyon)
118 games in five years: not as much as Corentin Tolisso would have hoped at Bayern Munich. The France international was a Bundesliga record signing when he arrived from Olympique Lyon for €41.5m in 2017, but injuries have hindered his progress and prevented him from reaching the standard required in Munich. The 27-year-old's contract has not been renewed and he's returned to former club Lyon.
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Overall, it was a lowkey return for the German forward though, littered with misplaced passes and without a single touch in Cologne's box.
Can Werner help RB Leipzig topple Bayern?
At Werner's unveiling on Tuesday, technical director Christopher Vivell sung the striker's praises, saying: "He'll take on a leading role here. He has a lot of experience on the international stage and knows RB Leipzig very well.
"We have a brilliant level of variety and depth in our attack and a lot of quality going forward."
The 26-year-old — who received the loudest cheer of any player when the lineup was read out ahead of the match — looked confident but lacked match fitness as poor first touches and simple passes often found a Cologne player instead of his own teammate.
When Werner was afforded space in the middle of the park, his strike from 25 yards and Schwäbe's mistake allowed him a dream return goal — and a standing ovation when he substituted midway through the second half.
Off the pace
Head coach Domenico Tedesco admitted after the match that Leipzig were unaware of Werner's condition, explaining: "We didn't really know what the status of him was, even though he did the whole preseason at Chelsea.
"We had very little data on him, so a game like this is very helpful to see where he is at the moment."
And, CEO Oliver Mintzlaff is confident Werner has much still to show, adding: "He is certainly not at 100%, nobody expected that. But more is possible."
However, the draw against Cologne offered few answers about whether Werner's homecoming can add enough to Leipzig's team to make them a true threat to Bayern Munich's bid for an eleventh consecutive Bundesliga title.
The hosts played the second half with just 10 men, after Dominik Szoboszlai was dubiously shown a red card at the end of the first 45 for raising his elbow towards Kainz's face.
Christoper Nkunku's brilliant effort, scored after escaping three defenders inside the box, gave Leipzig hope of an unlikely victory. But their defensive frailties were highlighted by the two poor goals they conceded.
Still, Leipzig's resistance to hold on for the draw impressed Tedesco who said after the game: "There were a few fateful blows for us. We had to take a lot on the chin today. But I think many teams would have lost the game today."
And, Werner echoed his head coaches thoughts but is expectant of better outcomes, adding: "When you play so long a man down 2-2 is acceptable but it is not enough for the target we have."
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Partnership with Nkunku on the cards?
Werner and Nkunku's initial one-year spell together up front for Leipzig during the 2019-2020 season was dominated by former — whose 28 league goals dwarfed his forward partner's paltry five strikes.
Nkunku's dancing feet in front of goal last year, which helped him score 35 times in 58 appearances, saw him named as the Bundesliga player of the season as he came into his own.
Christopher Nkunku has been a key player for Domenico TedescoImage: Jan Woitas/dpa/picture alliance
Returning together to the starting line-up for the first time in two years, the pair struggled to find much of a rhythm — with one opportunity missed when Werner's weak header failed to set Nkunku free on a counterattack.
Szoboszlai's red card meant Nkunku was forced to drop into the midfield for the second half and the pair seldom linked up, but the former Paris Saint Germain forward's prowess in front of goal was not dimmed.
Collecting a brilliant pass from Olmo, Nkunku raced into the box and — having placed his standing foot towards the back post — powered the ball into the far corner.
If both Werner and Nkunku can replicate their best individual seasons with Leipzig as an attacking force there will be much expectation and hope that the front two can propel the team towards a league challenge, past the group stages of the Champions League and perhaps beyond.
It remains to be seen though whether the two strikers who can form a cohesive partnership or if their strengths are too similar to gel together. Both are quick but can Nkunku read his teammate's runs? And what position is Werner most comfortable in now?
With the World Cup just 99 days away, Werner will need to rediscover the confidence and form in front of goal that shone through in his first spell at Leipzig. Especially as Borussia Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi is battling to take his fellow striker's place in the starting XI.
