Hamann joined former Liverpool team-mates Jamie Carragher and Jamie Redknapp and also discussed Jadon Sancho and Kai Havertz
Thursday 30 April 2020 17:08, UK
Timo Werner is not the right signing for Liverpool, according to former Reds midfielder Dietmar Hamann.
RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner is ready to sign for Liverpool if they pay his £52m release clause before it expires on June 15.
But Liverpool do not intend to make a move for Werner before his release clause expires.
Hamann, who spent seven years at the club and won eight major trophies, joined former Anfield team-mates Jamie Carragher and Jamie Redknapp on The Football Show show and expressed his concerns over Werner joining Liverpool.
Hamann said: "I'm not too sure [about it]. Today in the papers, they're saying that he doesn't want to go to Bayern Munich. He's always expressed how fond he is of Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool, the club that he maybe wants to join.
"But the thing with Liverpool is you've probably got the best front three in world football. If you play out wide for Liverpool, even though the full-backs like to go on the overlap, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are both very tricky players, they are very skilful and Werner is not that type of player.
"His biggest asset by far is his pace and if I watch games now, even at Anfield, with Liverpool being so superior to most teams, most of them sit back and if you deny Werner space, he's a lot less effective. If you look at his goal record for Leipzig, his goals this season has been outstanding, but they like to play on the counter-attack and they're not really a possession team. I don't think he's got the trickery to play out wide as Mane and Salah have.
"Then if you look at Roberto Firmino's position, I think the way they are set up, you almost need a Teddy Sheringham-type player like Firmino is to link things up. He's not really one who goes in behind the back four, he likes to come short and bring Salah and Mane into the play so I just don't know where he would play.
"I don't think he is a wide player, I think he is best through the middle and I just don't know where he should or would be. On the other hand, the Africa Cup of Nations - if it goes ahead - will be early next year so Mane and Salah might be away for four to six weeks and that's probably one thing Liverpool have got in the back of their minds.
"I'm sure there are players out there who will help Liverpool more next season than Werner."
Another player making waves in Germany is England international Jadon Sancho, who has caught the eye with his performances for Borussia Dortmund.
He has also been linked with a move back to the Premier League and Hamann thinks Dortmund will have a fight on their hands to keep the talented 20-year-old when the transfer window reopens.
"He's been tremendous," Hamann said. "With Dortmund in the past, we've seen that they can develop players and when he first came, he had a rough few months, but in the last 12 to 18 months, he has been the best player in the Bundesliga.
"I'm not surprised there is huge interest in England to take him back there. We had Ousmane Dembele here a few years ago who went to Barcelona and it never really worked out but I've rarely seen a player in the last decade who beats players or defenders purely with skill. I think he's in double figures again this season with nine or ten games to go for assists and goals at his young age.
"I'd probably make him make him the highest value player. If you look at Kylian Mbappe, he might be the only one who is valued higher than him now, this is how good he's been.
"I think it will be a major act for Dortmund to keep him in the summer, although obviously we don't know what's happening with the transfer market this summer in these strange times, but he's made a huge impact. I just wonder what they make at Manchester City because they must have seen that he's got something otherwise it wouldn't have been possible to perform in the way he did over the last 18 months."
Another talented player Hamann is keeping his eye on is Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz, who is being touted as the next big talent to come from Germany.
Speaking about the 20-year-old attacking midfielder, Hamann said:" The one player who stands out for me is Havertz. He's an exceptional player who reminds me of a young Michael Ballack.
"He has that air of arrogance in a nice way about him and he's just a natural, he's two-footed, he's tall and he's good in the air. He's very versatile, he can play across the front, he can play in any position. I think he is the best player we have got in Germany at the moment.
"There's talk about Werner maybe going to England and obviously he's a different player but I think Havertz is the one I would be looking at."
