Found an error?
Report now
Nick Woltemade moved from Werder Bremen to VfB Stuttgart on a free transfer a year ago.
IMAGO/Sven Simon
From 0 to 85 million in 424 days: a year ago, Nick Woltemade moved from Bremen to Stuttgart on a free transfer. Now he's off to Newcastle for 85 million. Liverpool FC is actually to blame.
Young, brutal (expensive), good-looking. The market for center forwards in European football is currently spiraling into dizzying madness. As VfB Stuttgart made public on Thursday, Nick Woltemade is on the verge of a transfer. The player has been given permission to "talk to a European club about an immediate transfer". Cost according to media reports: 85 million euros. Acquiring club: Newcastle United.
The move to FC Bayern Munich is therefore off for good. However, this probably has less to do with the attractiveness of Munich and more to do with the financial strength of the Premier League. Liverpool's interest in Newcastle striker Alexander Isak is thought to be the trigger, which probably forced the "Magpies" into the Woltemade deal. The Swede is desperate to move to the English champions before the transfer deadline and has been on strike for weeks for this reason.
The Reds are prepared to transfer around 150 million euros to Newcastle, so Stuttgart's crazy demands are a piece of cake for the English club, who are already sponsored by the Saudi Investment Fund - in contrast to Bayern, who have already drawn the line at 60 million euros, although they were considered the 23-year-old's dream destination.
But anyone who thought Stuttgart were crazy to turn down such an offer for a striker who had scored just 14 goals in 70 Bundesliga appearances can now think twice.
Because VfB's poker was a complete success. Young center forwards are a rare commodity on the European market. This has already been demonstrated by the transfers of Hugo Ekitiké (95 million euros to Liverpool) and Benjamin Sesko (80 million euros to Manchester United). Stuttgart obviously smelled these developments, as they were not even prepared to open serious negotiations with Bayern's 60 million euro offer.
A similar situation is currently unfolding in Dortmund, where Premier League side Brentford are reportedly willing to fork out the absurd sum of 70 million euros for attacker Maximilian Beier. The BVB striker scored just eight goals in the last Bundesliga season and was not even guaranteed a regular place.
But Brentford are also under pressure, as Newcastle are also on the line. Yoane Wissa, a long-time guarantor of goals in the attack, is set to move to the north-east of the island as Isak's second successor for 70 million euros.
However, the craziest transfer could take place at Wolverhampton. Newcastle also have their hands in the pie there and have rebuffed a bid of 65 million euros for striker Jörgen Strand Larsen. According to media reports, an improved offer is already on the way.
The curious thing is that the 25-year-old Norwegian only joined Wolves two months ago after a loan spell - for €27 million at the time!
