Liverpool legend John Barnes doesn’t think that Timo Werner’s fortunes would have improved if he had made the switch to Anfield instead of Chelsea in the summer.

The Reds were heavily linked with the German international before he agreed a £47.5m switch to Stamford Bridge, but he has struggled with confidence issues since arriving in England.

Asked whether Werner would have faced similar struggles under Jurgen Klopp, Barnes said that as he wouldn’t have displaced the front three, it’s likely his first season in the Premier League wouldn’t have turned out differently:

“If Werner came to Liverpool he wouldn’t be playing any better, even if he does score at Anfield on Thursday. He’s a dangerous player and can score when he has confidence, but he wouldn’t play ahead of the front three of Mane, Salah and [Roberto] Firmino, so Liverpool haven’t made a mistake in not signing him.”

It’s difficult to determine what might have happened if Werner made the decision to sign for Liverpool instead. Reds supporters have been delighted by the performances of Diogo Jota, who was snapped up as an alternative, and they would probably not swap the Portuguese international for the Chelsea forward following their contrasting performances this season.