After half a year in the Bundesliga, Nick Woltemade wants to switch to Bayern. This is more risk than an opportunity.
As if the amount of headlines about him were not already big enough: no German football professional has been reported as much and as positive as about Nick Woltemade in the past few weeks.
The “Wolte-Mania” in Football Germany picked up at the end of May with the Cup victory of the Stuttgart journey and continued his premiere in the A national team in the final Four of the Nations League in early June and now culminates in his “goal rage” at the U21 European Championship. There he shot the German eleven with six goals in four games to the final against England on Saturday and now has the best prospects for the award as a player of the tournament.
In the meantime, the country’s largest club also wants to buy him out of his contract with VfB Stuttgart for a lot of money. The headlines of the coming days will be certain. But nothing has been signed yet, only one thing is already certain: this change would mean more risk than an opportunity for him. Because he would come too early.
Sure: Woltemade is the vertical starter of the season. More precisely of the last six months. However, there can be no question that he has established himself at the top level. One should not forget: The 23-year-old would bring exactly zero-minute experience in the Europa League and zero minutes of experience in the Champions League to Munich. He came to Stuttgart last summer after scoring exactly two goals in 30 missions in the previous season. Templates: none.
His role at VfB was initially a subordinate. So much so that he didn’t even get a place in the Swabian Champions League squad and was left out at the royal class appearances. Only from the second half of the season did he really start in the league and in the cup.
VfB will play in the Europa League next season. A perfect opportunity for Woltemade to gain his first experience on an international club terrain-as a striker number one. Instead, he apparently wants to take the risk of taking it back again. Just as he had to do it in Bremen for a long time and in the first half of the year in Stuttgart. He should actually have this role. Above all, he risks his World Cup place.
Because at Bavaria he would have none other than Harry Kane in front of him-the league goalkeeper king of the past two years. That the Munich team is changing their system for a double tip Kane/Woltemade? Rather unlikely. That he acts behind Kane as a hanging tip? Conceivable, but certainly not a permanent solution. Finally there is a certain Jamal Musiala for the position in the center behind Kane.
No question: The 1.98-meter slacks Woltemade brings excellent footballing requirements, is also an entertaining guy who is suitable for the sympathizer. With his kind, he would certainly do the Bavaria well after the Müller party. But whether his good mood has a permanent persistence if he finds itself primarily on the replacement bank can be doubted.
Ex-scorer Giovane Elber once moved from Stuttgart to Munich, right after winning the DFB Cup with VfB. That was in 1997. But: The Brazilian already had three complete Bundesliga games and more than 40 goals. Elber therefore warns Woltemade from his own experience in the T-online conversation: “The boy must know one thing: it is difficult at Bavaria to be a regular. He plays every game in Stuttgart, it is different in Munich, patience is required.”