Can Timo Werner play for Tottenham Hotspur vs Man Utd? Transfer latest ahead of Premier League clash

Tottenham Hotspur look set to complete their first major signing of the January transfer window with reports suggesting a loan deal for Timo Werner is close.

Ange Postecoglou has identified attacking reinforcements as a priority for this month, having lost Heung-Min son to the Asia Cup and James Maddison to a long-term injury. Werner had been on Manchester United's radar but they were unsure of the profile of forward they wanted, and therefore opted against pushing forward.

And as fate would have it, United's next Premier League clash sees them host Tottenham at Old Trafford on Sunday. It will be the first league game for both in 2024, following the FA Cup action over last weekend.

It raises the possibility of Werner being available for Postecoglou when his side head to Manchester but there is still plenty to do before his signing is confirmed. Below is a round up of the status of the deal and what needs to be done for the forward to be registered in time.

What's the latest on Werner to Tottenham?

Talks between Tottenham and Leipzig progressed in recent days and the finer details of a deal look to have been agreed. They will take Werner on loan for the rest of this season and there will be an option to make that permanent in the summer, for a fee believed to be £15million.

Sky Sports has reported that Werner is expected to fly to the UK on Monday evening and could undergo his medical as soon as Tuesday. Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg has claimed the paperwork is done and so the medical could be the final stage to complete.

When does Werner need to be registered?

In order to have them available for a weekend game, Premier League clubs must register their new signing before 12pm on the last working day before the game. Put simply, Tottenham have until midday on Friday to have Werner fully registered.

It is worth noting that this can happen before any announcement videos on social media. So if Tottenham were to confirm Werner's arrival after 12pm on Friday, it does not automatically mean they have missed the deadline with the Premier League.

Could Werner feature if he's registered?

Tottenham's injury issues in attacking areas make it likely that Werner could feature in some respect on Sunday, should he be registered in time. Captain Son is away with South Korea while James Maddison and Manor Solomon are both injured.

Giovanni Lo Celso also came off during their FA Cup win over Burnley but it is unclear if he is injured. Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson and Richarlison are expected to form the front-three but Werner could be used from the bench.