The former Bayern captain praises the development of Nick Woltemade, who, after his debut in the national team, is currently performing brilliantly in the U21 team at the European Championships.

Former international Stefan Effenberg is enthusiastic about the rapid development of young star Nick Woltemade. The 45-year-old even sees the Stuttgart native as a potential successor to Harry Kane at FC Bayern Munich.

"This is a striker Bayern Munich should definitely focus on. Not now, but at some point when Harry Kane leaves," said the former Munich captain at a media event on the sidelines of the ongoing Club World Cup in Miami. That could be in a year or even after the 31-year-old Englishman's contract expires in 2027.

"Then Nick Woltemade is a type of player, and also this number nine, that Bayern Munich should be thinking about," said Effenberg. "Otherwise, you're doing something wrong. Anyone who performs like they did in the DFB Cup final for Stuttgart and so on is already made for high ambitions."

After a strong debut season, the 23-year-old Woltemade is currently making a splash at the U21 European Championship in Slovakia. He leads the scoring charts after the preliminary round with four goals and will face Italy with the German national team in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

Before the tournament with the juniors, Woltemade had made his first two appearances for the national team at the Nations League finals. "Logically," Effenberg said, "many clubs are already interested in him: This is a tremendous development from the youngster."

After moving from Bremen to Stuttgart, he "performed really well at VfB. Also the way he plays football at almost two meters. He really belongs on the basketball court. But he's a really good footballer."

Woltemade's type of player is hard to describe, says 56-year-old Effenberg: "You can put him up front. But he can also drop back and join in the kicking. He has a few moves that make me say: Wow, with that size, that's extraordinary. He's not a typical number nine, but a number nine that every team needs. Stuttgart can be happy to have him." The question has long been: For how long?

Effenberg likes that Woltemade (contracted with VfB until 2028) is still competing at the U21 European Championship with full ambition, even after his debut for the national team. "I think that's fantastic, his attitude. He could have just said, 'I need to rest, it's been a long season.' But it's a big tournament. You can win a title there. He's performing there too and is a crucial factor."