Man United’s first transfer following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s takeover is a £45 million Premier League disaster.

Ahead of an unexpected January transfer, Manchester United has nominated Timo Werner, the £45 million Chelsea failure.

In August 2022, Werner, 27, made his way back to RB Leipzig following two challenging Premier League seasons in which he only managed 10 goals in the top tier. The German striker may become Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s first acquisition despite his difficulties; United is expected to bring him back to England when the January transfer window opens.

British businessman Ratcliffe, a former season ticket holder for Chelsea, is nearing a £1.3 billion agreement to purchase a 25% share in United, giving his petrochemicals company, INEOS, command of the team’s football activities. While Werner would be a dubious starting choice, improving the Red Devils’ recruiting both on and off the field is one of their top concerns.

After making the transition to Stamford Bridge in 2020, he was sent back to East Germany and hasn’t been able to revive his career there. The German national team’s 27-year-old hasn’t played a complete 90 minutes of competitive football since May, and Sky Sports reports that United has already queried about his availability.

Furthermore, it is stated that although Werner would love to remain in Leipzig until the summer, he is not happy with the way manager Marc Rose is using him. In their 3-1 triumph over Freiburg on Sunday, the 57-year-old senior international did not even register a minute of action.

In order to bolster their £72 million acquisition of 20-year-old Rasmus Hojlund, United is looking for another forward.

Although Werner can play as a wide forward, he prefers to be one of Ten Hag’s two strikers, which gives Ten Hag a tactical advantage. He would hook up with struggling former Chelsea teammate Mason Mount if he were to sign with the Red Devils. United’s preference may lie in a loan rather than a permanent transfer, albeit the latter appears more plausible given their January signing history.

Ten Hag signed striker Wout Weghorst and midfielder Marcel Sabitzer for the remainder of the 2019–20 season, while Odion Ighalo was loaned by former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2020. When they arrived at Old Trafford, Werner’s arrival also raised eyebrows.