Crystal Palace flop Alexander Sorloth joins RB Leipzig for £20m as replacement for Timo Werner

RB Leipzig have completed the signing of Alexander Sorloth from Crystal Palace despite interest from Tottenham.

The German side want Sorloth to replace Timo Werner, following his £49million move to Chelsea, after the Norwegian’s stunning season on loan at Trabzonspor.

Leipzig will pay around €22m (£20m) for the 24-year-old, with Palace splitting the money 50-50 with Trabzonspor. 

RB Leipzig have completed the signing of striker Alexander Sorloth from Crystal Palace

Sorloth joined Palace in January 2018 for around £9m from FC Midtjylland but scored just once in 20 appearances before being loaned to Gent a year later.

Sorloth then joined Trabzonspor last summer on a two-year loan and has been in sensational form, scoring 33 times in 49 games for last season’s Turkish league runners up.  

The transfer had been complicated with Trabzonspor due a slice of the transfer fee due to their loan deal being terminated early. 

Sorloth sent a video message to the fans of the Turkish club on Tuesday, lamenting the fact that he would not be able to say a proper goodbye due to COVID restrictions, but thanked them for welcoming him to the club and the city

Sorloth joined Crystal Palace in January 2018 for around £9m from FC Midtjylland 

‘Even though Trabzonspor took me in like a son, I have dreams and goals in my career, and one of them was to play in the German Bundesliga because it’s a great league, one of the best in the world. So it’s with a heavy heart I chose this. But I have to think about my career and I’m not choosing away from Trabzon, I’m choosing to take the next step in my career and I hope everyone understands that.

‘I would have loved to say goodbye to you all personally, but this year with the COVID-19 situation makes it really hard to travel, so that’s why unfortunately I cannot come and shake your hands and say goodbye in the proper way.

‘Nevertheless, I want to say that I really appreciate the way that you took me in, and gave me the chance to take the next step in my career.

‘I will always have friends in Trabzon, my teammates, the trainers, the medical staff, the people: everybody made my year unforgettable; I will always be in debt to you and I hope we can see each other again in the future.’ 

Sorloth has been in blistering form for Trabzonspor, scoring 33 times in 49 games in Turkey

Leipzig want to secure Sorloth as a permanent replacement for Timo Werner, now at Chelsea