Nick Woltemade shocked Germany by joining Newcastle over Bayern, but ex-coach Hermann Gerland branded the striker worthy of the huge fee.
Bayern failed to match Stuttgart demandsGerland stunned by Premier League switchStriker branded worth extraordinary transfer feeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The German international completed a stunning switch from Stuttgart to Newcastle in a deal worth up to £69 million ($93m), a club-record fee for the Magpies. The 23-year-old, who scored 17 goals and added three assists in 33 appearances last season, arrives as the direct replacement for Alexander Isak.
Newcastle moved decisively in the final weeks of the transfer window, striking a six-year contract with Woltemade that could earn him €8m per year. The towering striker, who began his career at Werder Bremen before exploding at Stuttgart last season, will now wear the No.27 shirt at St James’ Park.
The move also marks a blow for Bayern Munich, who had been circling for months but failed to meet Stuttgart’s financial demands. Instead of waiting for a move to Bavaria next summer, Woltemade has joined the Premier League, a decision that shocked many in Germany, including Bayern legend Hermann Gerland, who admitted the striker’s choice caught the club off guard, but also added praise for the German starlet.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT GERLAND SAID
Gerland offered a blunt but admiring take on Woltemade’s move stating that money rules the world including football, “With his move, he has now made provisions for himself, his future wife, his future children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. My mother always used to tell me: Money makes the world go round,” he said on
“He's a very well-behaved young man. I can understand why Bayern Munich wanted to sign him, and now the English have. The price is a bit extraordinary, but you have to pay extraordinary money for extraordinary players. That was always the case. I would have liked to see him stay in Germany; he would have been good for Stuttgart, too.”
Asked about the risk of moving abroad before the World Cup, he added: “No matter where he goes, he has to perform everywhere. Good footballers can play anywhere. You can improve everywhere, and so can he. The important thing is that he's not afraid.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
This transfer underlines both the pull of Premier League money and the growing difficulty Bundesliga giants face in keeping their best young talent. For Bayern, it’s another major setback after also losing out on Florian Wirtz, who chose Liverpool over Munich earlier this summer.
For Newcastle, it’s a calculated gamble that replacing Isak directly is impossible, but Woltemade’s skillset, a rare combination of size, and ball-carrying ability, makes him a logical successor. Eddie Howe now has a striker who not only offers aerial dominance but can also dribble past defenders and link play creatively.
For Germany, the timing is crucial as Woltemade is tipped to lead the line at the 2026 World Cup, with the No.9 shirt beckoning. His performances in England could cement him as Joachim Low’s successor’s first-choice striker in a new-look national team under Julian Nagelsmann
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN AND WOLTEMADE?
For Bayern Munich, Woltemade’s decision represents another missed opportunity and fuels growing frustration around their transfer strategy. After a chaotic summer already marred by the Nicolas Jackson saga, losing out on Germany’s brightest young No.9 to the Premier League feels symbolic of shifting power in European football.
With sporting director Max Eberl under pressure and fans questioning the club’s ability to compete for elite domestic talent, Bayern face a deeper issue that, are they still the natural destination for Germany’s best players, or is the Premier League now the ultimate stage?
For Woltemade, meanwhile, the focus is quite clear that he deliver at Newcastle, adapt to the Premier League, and cement his place as Germany’s leading striker ahead of the upcoming World Cup.
