Woltemade to FC Bayern? I have four urgent questions.
His goals and assists at the U21 European Championship resonated as far as the USA: The German champions don't want to miss out on another German superstar after Florian Wirtz and need a new Thomas Müller. The outcry at VfB Stuttgart is huge. A FIFA rule actually prohibits any contact with Nick Woltemade. Or is the outrage merely feigned?
The headlines quickly circulated and, in retrospect, explained why sporting director Max Eberl had temporarily left the Club World Cup: "Bayern agrees with Woltemade!" What Bild and Sky reported in unison makes sense. FC Bayern needs a new Thomas Müller in attack, and Nick Woltemade of VfB Stuttgart offers everything and more to replace Müller: He's 23, versatile in attack, a goal threat, and has a great feel for the ball.
The only problem is: His employment contract runs until 2028 – without the consent of VfB Stuttgart, neither he nor his agent, Danny Bachmann, may be contacted. The FIFA rule is very clear: Unannounced contact and possible negotiations may only be initiated six months before the end of the contract. In Woltemade's case, this would be from January 1, 2028. The reported, but not denied, agreement between Bayern and Woltemade therefore raises questions.
Either Bayern Munich circumvented applicable FIFA law (which, incidentally, happens all the time in practice and is tacitly accepted). Or VfB Stuttgart was aware of FC Bayern's interest and is simply artificially hyping up the emotions and outrage to drive up the transfer fee. In any case, club chairman Alexander Wehrle said: "Woltemade is staying. Period." And that's not the only open question at FC Bayern.
The other is: Don't other positions have higher priority? On the wings, for example. Leroy Sané has been let go, Serge Gnabry is constantly in a crisis of meaning, Kingsley Coman is a constant candidate for the infirmary, and Michael Olise has so far been irreplaceable – the need for improvement is great, as we saw at the Club World Cup. In the 1-0 group match defeat to Benfica Lisbon, the substitutes provided too little impetus. A shortcoming that Bayern already demonstrated in the Champions League.
What's more, Woltemade is expensive. At the U21 European Championship, the young international player showed what sets him apart in and out of the penalty area. Six goals and three assists in just four games: That doesn't go unnoticed by any top club in Europe. Germany is in Saturday's European Championship final against England thanks in part to him. According to Transfermarkt.de, his market value is said to be €30 million. VfB Stuttgart will easily be able to demand double that, and perhaps even more.
How does this fit in with the agreed-upon austerity measures at FC Bayern? Yes, they had set aside a bit of cash to get Florian Wirtz away from Bayer Leverkusen. Because he didn't arrive (and moved to Liverpool), they now have 100 million in cash lying around.
But do you want to spend that on an attacker who, after just one really good season, you don't yet know whether he'll be able to replace top scorer Harry Kane in the long term?
Let there be no doubt: Woltemade is a great striker and a good fit for FC Bayern – at some point. However, his frustration over a poor offer from VfB Stuttgart for an early contract extension isn't enough for Bayern to make a rather risky bet on the future. The Woltemade case looks a bit like a displacement activity: Bayern don't want to let another German superstar slip away after Wirtz. Despite the austerity measures.
That's why advancing to the Club World Cup on Sunday is certainly a good argument: A win in the first knockout match against Flamengo Rio de Janeiro would mean additional revenue on top of the $40 million Bayern Munich has earned so far from their signing fees and two wins in the group stage. The round of 16 is supposed to be just a stopover: The World Cup title could bring in around $100 million. That should be enough to finance Woltemade.
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