San Jose Earthquakes overtake Inter Miami in race to sign ex-Chelsea star

Tom Weber

• Updated: 16 Dec 2025 16:08 CST
• 3 min read

News

The San Jose Earthquakes have emerged as the favourites to sign former Chelsea forward Timo Werner after recent links with Inter Miami.

The former Germany international is looking to leave RB Leipzig in the January transfer window, having finally seen the writing on the wall after making just two appearances for the Bundesliga club so far this term.

In the summer, Werner had the chance to join sister club New York Red Bulls, but he opted against making the move to New Jersey. Heading into 2026, the 29-year-old has accepted that MLS is his best possible destination.

Werner was recently linked with a blockbuster move to Inter Miami, but transfer insider Tom Bogert played down these assertions and insisted that the newly-crowned MLS champions are not looking to sign the ex-Chelsea attacker.

Instead, it is the San Jose Earthquakes who now look poised to complete a deal for the Leipzig outcast, according to Sky Germany. The Quakes are in for a big offseason overhaul, and Werner could be their new star forward.

Werner to lead Quakes rebuild

San Jose narrowly missed out on the playoffs in Bruce Arena's first season in charge. Captain and all-time assists leader Cristian Espinoza has become a free agent and could depart, although he has been offered a new contract.

Josef Martinez and Mark-Anthony Kay are other big-name departures, even if the latter wasn't a guaranteed starter in 2025. The Quakes have turned down a bid from Pumas for star striker Chicho Arango and are in talks over an improved contract.

The arrival of Werner would fill the void left behind by Martinez, who is coming off his best goalscoring season since suffering a devastating knee injury in 2020. If the Quakes are indeed to finalise a deal for the German, it will be interesting to see what kind of contract he is given.

Werner is Leipzig's top earner with an annual net salary of €6.6 million, which would naturally make him a Designated Player in MLS. The Quakes only had two DPs in 2025, one of them being Espinoza, so they aren't squeezed for roster spots.

It's more a question of whether Werner is a DP-level player at this point in his career. The 29-year-old hasn't hit double figures in league goals since the final season of his first Leipzig stint, which ended in 2020.

Given his massive performance drop-off and recent struggles to stay fit, there is a significant risk attached to making Werner the face of the project.

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