Rangnick keen on reuniting with forward at Manchester United – Do they need him?

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick reportedly wants to discuss a possible transfer for Chelsea forward Timo Werner.

Rangnick boss has a history with Timo Werner, having signed him for RB Leipzig from VfB Stuttgart in 2016, and helping build his career in the Bundesliga before Chelsea signed him in June 2020.

At Chelsea, however, the German international has struggled to live up to the lofty expectations of the club and fans alike, managing only 15 goals in 64 appearances to date.

According to Bild journalist Christian Falk, Ralf Rangnick, the newly-appointed Manchester United interim manager, is keen to give Timo Werner a chance to reinvigorate his career at Old Trafford.

Rangnick did coach Werner during the 2018-19 Bundesliga campaign, and the speedy forward registered 19 goals and 13 assists in 38 appearances. He netted 28 times in the league alone in the following season, earning him a move to Chelsea as a result, although things haven’t quite worked out for the German with the west London outfit.

Werner’s struggles at Stamford Bridge have not put off Rangnick from seeking a reunion with the player, although it remains to be seen whether Thomas Tuchel’s club would sell their player to a rival club.

Timo Werner to Manchester United – Do the Red Devils really need him?

Ralf Rangnick is expected to be in the Manchester United dugout starting from the Crystal Palace game on Sunday and until the end of the season, before he moves upstairs at Old Trafford. The hugely respected German tactician has seemingly already started thinking about the long term and wants to add youth, vigour, energy and intensity to the Red Devils front line.

Barring Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani, who are slowly edging towards the autumn of their glittering footballing careers, Manchester United have an array of young, dynamic and quality forwards in the squad.

In Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho, Amad Diallo and Anthony Elanga, the Mancunian giants have so many options in attack, thus, making Rangnick’s interest in Timo Werner a head-scratcher.

Agreed, Rangnick knows Werner in and out having signed him for RB Leipzig before coaching him for a season, but the 25-year-old has consistently underperformed since arriving in England last year. The German international hasn’t had the impact that Chelsea were hoping for at the club, with numerous offside goals, shocking misses and lack of awareness in the final third becoming a regular fixture of his game in the capital.

Werner has largely been indecisive in the attacking end of the pitch which could be why he has struggled to score goals or pick up assists on a regular basis under Thomas Tuchel.

While he is 25 and may thrive in new surroundings under someone whom he has worked with previously in his career, Rangnick and Manchester United would be better off opting against signing Werner as there is already a lot of quality and depth in the forward department. Instead, they must focus on reinforcing their midfield options, which has been a problematic area for the club in recent seasons.