“I am very happy at Leipzig. Joining this club has been a stroke of luck. I have found my way again under Ralph Hasenhuttl.”
This is far from a conclusive statement, of course, with many players committing to clubs before later moving on, but Werner’s comments about growth are particularly telling.
Leipzig have formed an impressive young squad, with only four players over the age of 25 featuring at all this season, and the average age of those to make 10 or more appearances just 23.9.
Already challenging at the top end of the Bundesliga, Leipzig looks to be a stable platform for youth, and Werner has found himself part of a blossoming squad.
That isn’t to say Klopp wouldn’t be unable to secure the striker if he is one of his priority targets, with reports from SPORTBILD over the weekend suggesting Leipzig could be swayed.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side are said to value Keita at £26 million, and would be open to bids in that region in the summer.
Given Keita is one of Leipzig’s most important players, if this is the case a host of clubs around Europe could look to pick off their top talent at the end of the season.
Klopp would be wise, however, to continue to identify alternative targets, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Julian Brandt and Nottingham Forest’s Ben Brereton among those previously reported.