Why Bayern Munich Is Desperate To Sign Nick Woltemade From Stuttgart

Forbes

3 days ago

Bayern Munich is desperate to sign Nick Woltemade from VfB Stuttgart this summer. (Photo by Alex ...)
The press conference with Nick Woltemade ahead of the U21 European Championship final between Germany and England became a little bizarre on Friday. Rather than focusing on the opponent, the press hammered the Stuttgart star with questions about a potential transfer to Bayern Munich.
'I won't say anything about the Bayern reports,' Woltemade said at the press conference. 'It has nothing to do with tomorrow. Of course, there are things swirling around, but my only focus is tomorrow's final. This is the only chance in my life to win the U21 title, and I want to do it.'
Earlier this week, it was widely reported that Bayern Munich is now targeting the 23-year-old Stuttgart forward. Reports also indicate that Woltemade has also provisionally agreed personal terms with Bayern Munich.
According to a report by Sky Germany, Woltemade has agreed on a deal that will run until 2025. If a deal can be completed, Woltemade is expected to earn a base salary of €7.5 million ($8.8 million) that can grow to €10 million ($11.73 million) including bonuses.
Without a doubt, that is significantly more than what Woltemade is currently earning at Stuttgart. Under contract until 2028, Stuttgart hoped to extend that contract until 2029. But an early bid was below the player's expectations, and Woltemade has now opened the door for a move to Bayern Munich.
That, however, doesn't mean a deal is imminent. 'Nick Woltemade has developed well,' Bayern President Herbert Heiner said at the FIFA Club World Cup. 'We're happy that he's playing so well with the U21 national team. We'll have to wait and see. Whether he will play for Bayern, that's up in the air.'
Even if Woltemade has refused an initial contract extension, Stuttgart still holds all the cards here. The forward is still signed long-ter,m and most importantly, his current deal doesn't include an exit clause. In fact, Stuttgart made it very clear this week that Woltemade wasn't for sale.
"The fact that this development hasn't gone unnoticed and that we now read about interest from other clubs almost every day doesn't change the fact that Nick's journey with us is far from over,' Stuttgart sporting director Fabian Wolgemuth said. 'We are firmly planning with Nick, and we want to benefit from his sporting qualities in the coming year as well. There's no alternative scenario for this.'
Nick Woltemade has been a star for Germany at the U21 European Championships this summer. (Photo by ... More Image)
Internally, Stuttgart is quite upset that Bayern approached the player and supposedly have reached an agreement with Woltemade. Although common in the business, Bayern speaking to Woltemade without Stuttgart's consent is considered tampering.
The way Bayern has gone about this business might now complicate things in the transfer talks. Already, Stuttgart has shown significant resolve, communicating strongly that Woltemade isn't for sale. Internally, they want to test Bayern's resolve. How much would the Rekordmeister be willing to spend on the player?
Stuttgart's current record sale is Benjamin Pavard, who joined Bayern Munich for just €35 million ($40 million at the time). But Pavard had an exit clause in his contract, and Stuttgart was relegated to the second division that season.
There is no exit clause in this deal. Indeed, Stuttgart has increasingly signed players to new contracts without the use of this mechanism. Angelo Stiller, for example, has an exit clause in his deal that can be bought out by Stuttgart if necessary.
That means that Stuttgart and Bayern will have to negotiate this deal. How much can Stuttgart expect? Numbers mentioned in the media have suggested a fee in the region of €60 million ($70 million). However, those are numbers leaked by Bayern, as internally, Stuttgart is willing to hold out for a significantly higher fee.
The Swabians have a precedent to follow. Stuttgart's Bundesliga competitor Eintracht Frankfurt recently sold Randal Kolo Muani for €95 million ($110 million) to PSG and Omar Marmoush for €75 million ($88 million) to Manchester City. Both forwards are in a similar age category to Woltemade, and Stuttgart is willing to hold out for up to €80 million ($93 million).
Just to put that in perspective, a deal in that price range would make Woltemade the second most expensive transfer in Bayern Munich's history behind only Harry Kane. It would also be an enormous fee for a player Stuttgart managed to sign on a free transfer from Werder Bremen just a year ago.
Indeed, Woltemade's incredible rise is documented as part of his Transfermarkt market value. When he arrived from Werder Bremen, Woltemade's market value was just €4 million ($4.6 million). One year on, his evaluation on Transfermarkt has risen to €30 million ($35 million) as part of the site's spring update. That evaluation might now already be outdated.