Money the stumbling block? Bayern's pursuit of Nick Woltemade hits transfer fee snag | OneFootball

Woltemade, 23, has made it clear that he wants to join Bayern this summer and has reportedly rejected offers from Chelsea and Napoli. The Bundesliga champions are also eager to bring in the towering 1.98-metre forward, with sporting director Max Eberl openly praising the U21 European Championship top scorer.

"Nick is clearly a player who interests us, everyone knows that by now," said Eberl after Bayern’s recent Club World Cup semifinal win over Flamengo. But he also cautioned against overpaying: “There’s a financial framework that has to make sense.”

According to reports, Bayern are willing to go as high as €50 million for Woltemade, while Stuttgart are demanding double that amount, starting negotiations at a hefty €100 million. The wide valuation gap could end up torpedoing the deal.

Legendary German international Lothar Matthäus has valued Woltemade at €80–100 million, a figure Bayern are not currently willing to meet. Eberl himself posed the question rhetorically: “Is Woltemade worth €80 million?”

The striker’s current contract with Stuttgart runs until 2028, but tensions have grown in recent months. Woltemade reportedly felt undervalued by the club, especially after receiving a renewal offer of €2.5 million per year—up from €1.5 million—which he viewed as disappointing. In contrast, Bayern are said to be offering a salary package between €7 million and €11 million, including bonuses.

Bayern see the transfer as a “bet on the future,” believing that while Woltemade isn’t yet world-class, he has the potential to become one. Stuttgart, on the other hand, believe €50 million is no longer a realistic market price in today’s climate.

Interestingly, Stuttgart’s record sale remains Benjamin Pavard’s €35 million move to Bayern in 2019. A Woltemade deal would more than double that if Die Schwaben get their asking price.

Eberl warned that public negotiations rarely end well: “If these positions, many of which have already been leaked, can’t be aligned, then unfortunately the deal probably won’t happen. That would be a shame from the start.”