January change rejected
©IMAGO
Deniz Undav summed it up. “Thank God” Jamie Leweling will stay at VfB Stuttgart this winter. “Good for him, also for the summer,” said the 29-year-old national striker and explained relatively bluntly: “If he continues like this, he will put himself on a huge market. He is a perfect player for the Premier League.”
Leweling impressively demonstrated why with his personal gala performance on Saturday evening during VfB’s exciting 4:1 (4:0) win at Bayer Leverkusen. “If he has a clear mindset, he is difficult to defend. He has physicality, he is fast. He actually has everything you need to have as a footballer. Just not my technique,” Undav joked appreciatively.
The 24-year-old fired three shots on goal, and Leweling shot the ball into the net three times as if there was nothing there. His best goal was disallowed due to an earlier offside position from assister Undav. But that didn’t change the application letter from the four-time national player for the World Cup. And precisely for the rich English clubs that have long had their eyes on him.
Bournemouth beat Leweling and VfB Stuttgart
“He brings everything with him. I hope that things go up a few notches,” said Undav. What is meant is a 40 million euro offer from AFC Bournemouth, who wants to replace Antoine Semenyo (26), who moved to Man City for 72 million, for an immediate move for Leweling. But VfB is said to have rejected this. “I want to stay here. It’s fun to play football here,” Leweling himself made it clear – with a view to a winter change, mind you.
“He is our player, played very well today and we are looking forward to a nice, good, successful second half of the season,” said sports director Fabian Wohlgemuth. If Leweling’s form, which increased significantly before the Christmas holidays, continues, completely different clubs could come forward with completely different sums in the summer.
Leweling’s development is a little reminiscent of Nick Woltemade (23), who was initially not registered for the Champions League by VfB last season, suddenly took off in the second series and was transferred to Newcastle United in the summer for 75 million euros in exclusive bonuses and had previously been hotly courted by FC Bayern. This makes Woltemade the Swabians’ record exit. Leweling would have been ranked second with the rejected offer.