Who is Nick Woltemade?
The 23-year-old striker, who has been nicknamed the “two-meter Messi-Musiala” by Stuttgart fans, has burst onto the scene in the last year. The combination of his size and skill as a striker makes for a rare player type in the modern era, which is perhaps part of the reason why there has been such interest in a forward who only really started playing regular football last season.
Woltemade scored 17 goals in all competitions last time out, including a goal in the . His performance in the U21 European Championship this summer saw his stock rise even further as Woltemade scored a hat trick against Slovenia in the group stage and led Germany to a second-place finish. He is in the latest Germany squad and will hope to play a big role in their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Woltemade was a Werder Bremen youth player, before he got a chance in the first team. A loan move to Elversberg proved beneficial as the striker helped them achieve promotion to the second division, but it wasn’t until last season that the big forward emerged as one of the most exciting young strikers in European .
Didn’t Bayern Munich want to sign him?
They absolutely did, but Stuttgart reportedly turned down two bids as they were not happy with what the record champions were offering. The side Stuttgart look clear winners here, rewarded for their patience in the transfer market by receiving a reported €85 million ($99 million) fee for the striker. The fee would set a new record received transfer fee in Stuttgart’s history, and is another miss in a summer of disappointments for .
Bayern, , also missed out on instead this summer. With the club always keen to be home to the best German players, missing out on both Wirtz and Woltemade will likely be a jolt to the system. Wirtz would have been a superb signing given his great connection with Jamal Musiala in the national team, but in a country where the lack of has been well documented, missing out on Woltemade will likely also hurt.
“Bayern Munich are very, very attractive, and we notice that whenever we talk to players,” Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund said after the Woltemade news broke.
“The [financial] possibilities they have in the Premier Leagure are brutal, not just two or three clubs but many clubs. Newcastle is a good club, but it’s not a top-tier team. It’s extreme.”
Is this a good move?
If Woltemade can get enough game time, then it looks a great move for the young striker. Julian Nagelsmann recently bemoaned some of the summer transfers because it meant his players were not playing enough. If Woltemade can emerge as the leading striker at Newcastle, a club that is reportedly interested in securing another striker this summer, then it will not only be hugely beneficial to his development but will almost certainly secure him a spot in Germany’s squad.
With fellow Germany hopeful Malick Thiaw another recent signing at Newcastle United and former Bundesliga player now well established at the Premier League club, Woltemade will have teammates who can quickly help him find his feet.
How many Bundesliga players have signed Premier League clubs?
From Jens Lehmann and back in the earlier 2000s, , , , and a decade later, and , , and more recently, there is a long history of Bundesliga players leaving for the .
This summer has been particularly busy though. Before Woltemade’s move, a quartet of players left for England’s top flight. Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong joined Liverpool, while Amine Adli signed for Bournemouth and Granit Xhaka moved to Sunderland.
Elsewhere, Mathys Tel and Joao Palhinha joined Tottenham from Bayern Munich (the latter on loan). sold Jamie Gittens to Chelsea, Frankfurt made headline news by selling Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool just six months after left for Manchester City. Benjamin Sesko was another big-money move this summer, leaving RB Leipzig for Manchester United, and Leipzig teammate Xavi Simons is reportedly also on the verge of leaving, with Tottenham his apparent destination.
There have however been a few players who have moved the other way this summer. , Jarell Quansah signed for Leverkusen, while Jobe Bellingham and Camey Chukwuemeka both moved to Borussia Dortmund.
Edited by: Chuck Penfold
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