Timo Werner close to MLS switch, but not to the team everyone expected

RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner could soon make the switch to MLS, leaving Europe after struggling to make an impact in the Bundesliga this year.

Werner, now 29, has played just 13 minutes across three appearances for Leipzig this year and is thought to be looking for a move away. Numerous reports suggest that the San Jose Earthquakes are closing in on a deal for the German international.

Despite his lack of form, the arrival of Werner would be a major coup for San Jose as they look to retool the offense for 2026. Werner was a part of the Chelsea team that clinched the Champions League in 2020/21 and had recently been tipped for a move to an MLS rival.

No more Red Bull for Werner

Despite starting his career with hometown team VfB Stuttgart, Werner truly came to prominence during a four-year spell with RB Leipzig. He struck 95 goals in 159 appearances for Leipzig and fired the team into the Champions League for the first time.

Werner was a key part of RB Leipzig’s emergence as a genuine power in German soccer. The club was founded in 2009 by soft drink manufacturer Red Bull, who invested heavily to fuel the team’s rise from the fifth tier to the Bundesliga.

After impressing with RB Leipzig, Werner had an underwhelming two-year spell with Chelsea before returning to his former club. Back at Leipzig he has failed to re-capture his previous form and many were tipping him for a move to MLS side New York Red Bulls, who share an owner with Leipzig.

Current New York Red Bulls captain Emil Forsberg joined the club from Leipzig and Werner was expected to follow the same path. Forsberg recently said that a reunion in New York would be “fantastic” but it looks like Werner is set to make the move to San Jose instead.

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