RB Leipzig manager Ralph Rangnick says that Timo Werner should consider extending his contract at the German club, as speculation regarding his future away from the Red Bull Arena continues to gather momentum.
The 23-year-old is being linked with a move away, with Liverpool and Bayern Munich currently the favourites to sign him this summer.
Werner, who has scored 50 goals in 93 appearances for Leipzig since joining from Stuttgart in 2016, was rumoured to be joining Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool last summer but a move never came to fruition.
The Germany international is about to enter into the final year of his current contract at Leipzig, but has made no secret in the fact that he wishes to depart the Bundesliga outfit for a fresh challenge next season.
"Timo is of the opinion that he does not want to extend the contract," said Rangnick, who leaves his post as first team manager to become Head of Sports & Development Soccer at the club on June 30 [Kicker].
"So far, no club has reported their interest or said they would speak with Timo and want to sign him. It's not a good idea for Timo to go into the final year of his contract, which could be difficult for his relationship with the fans depending on how his performance turns out," added the 60-year-old.
Rangnick believes that Werner should remain put at Leipzig until a "really big club" comes in for him.
"My opinion is that Timo fits best here, also in terms of style of play.
"If I were his advisor or father, I would clearly advise him to stay and extend his contract. When a really big club comes in for him and he wants to leave, he can still do that."
RB Leipzig could put a €50m release clause in his contract in order to get Timo Werner to sign a new deal, according to Bild. #RBL #FCBayern
— Ronan Murphy (@swearimnotpaul) June 14, 2019
Having scored 19 goals in 37 games (all competitions) last season, where Leipzig finished third in the Bundesliga and qualified for the Champions League after missing out on the competition last term, Werner continues to gain interest from some of Europe's biggest sides.
Liverpool are one of the rumoured front-runners, though it is difficult to see where he would fit in with the explosive front-three the Reds currently have available to him.
If he did make the switch to Anfield, it is likely Roberto Firmino would drop into a more deep-lying creative midfield/second striker role, supporting the Germany international up front with both Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane on each flank.
Bayern Munich are no strangers to snapping up young German talent, though, but with manager Niko Kovač usually preferring a 4-2-3-1 system which only fits a lone striker, it is again tough to see where Werner would fit in at the Allianz.
Roberto Lewandowski has rightfully claimed the leading striker role with Thomas Muller sitting just behind him in the creative 'No.10' position, so unless the German champions are prepared to change their formation all-together, a move for Werner seems unlikely.
