Chelsea striker Timo Werner has supposedly agreed to slash his salary by a whopping 50% in order to seal a return to RB Leipzig this summer.
The Germany international only found the back of the net four times in the Premier League last season and has struggled for consistency at Stamford Bridge since his 2020 arrival.
Werner boasts a respectable 23 goals and 21 assists from 89 appearances in a Chelsea shirt, but he has not been able to regain the form that he displayed in his native Germany.
As a result, Werner has been one of several Chelsea attackers linked with a summer exit from the club, but his contract still has another three years left to run.
There have also been claims that Blues boss Thomas Tuchel could block the 26-year-old from leaving, having already sanctioned Romelu Lukaku's loan departure to Inter Milan.
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However, German outlet BILD reports that Werner is willing to take drastic measures to force a return to the Red Bull Arena and is willing to halve his wage packet in order to do so.
Werner was a notable absentee from Chelsea's travelling squad for their recent pair of friendlies with Udinese, as the striker stayed behind to focus on recovering from an injury.
Chelsea and Leipzig are said to be in discussions which would see Werner return on loan with a "purchase clause", although whether that is an option or obligation to buy is unknown.
Current Roten Bullen striker Yussuf Poulsen recently added fuel to the fire surrounding Werner's future by publicly calling for the German to return to the Bundesliga in a recent press conference.
"I hope he is coming back, he is a good player. We are a team that are trying to take the next step and develop into one of the biggest clubs in Europe. You need quality players for that. We formed a good partnership in the past," Poulsen told reporters.
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Prior to signing for Chelsea in 2020, Werner amassed 93 goals and 40 assists in 158 games for Leipzig, who received £47.7m for his sale via a release clause.
The 2019-20 Bundesliga season saw the ex-Stuttgart youngster find the back of the net 28 times in 34 Bundesliga matches, which put him second in the scoring charts behind Robert Lewandowski's 34.
Real Madrid, Newcastle United and Arsenal are also said to be interested in acquiring Werner, who started just 15 Premier League games in the 2021-22 season under Tuchel.
As well as Lukaku and Werner, Chelsea are fighting a battle to keep hold of fellow striker Armando Broja, with Real Madrid keeping a close eye on the Albania international.
Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech's futures are also uncertain, but Raheem Sterling has signed from Manchester City, and the Blues are allegedly monitoring the contract situation of Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane.
Ben Knapton
