Nick Woltemade told to 'take a leaf out of Florian Wirtz's book' as ex-Bayern Munich manager highlights positives and negatives of joining Bundesliga champions
Stuttgart man on Bayern's radar
Coach urges Germany U21 star to be patient
WHAT HAPPENED?
Former Stuttgart and Bayern head coach Magath had words of advice for the young Woltemade. The 71-year-old former West Germany international pointed to Wirtz, who made a British record move from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool last month, urging Woltemade to not rush his decisions and prioritise on his footballing development.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Woltemade has only had two full seasons in the top-flight, with the 2024-25 season with Stuttgart his breakout year. In the 2023-24 season, the 23-year-old made 30 league appearances with Werder Bremen and scored two goals before arriving in the limelight last season by scoring 17 goals in 33 games in all competitions for Stuttgart. His exploits at the European U21 Championship, in which Germany lost the final to England, have grabbed the attention of Bayern Munich. They have already reached a personal agreement with the player over a summer move, though Stuttgart do not want to sell, and Magath has some words of advice for the forward.
WHAT FELIX MAGATH SAID
Speaking to Sky Sport in Germany, Magath said: "I can certainly understand that, and it's obviously the right approach for FC Bayern Munich to bring in an interesting, young, German player, since the big transfer of Florian Wirtz didn't come to fruition. That's not good for the Bundesliga , and it wasn't good for FC Bayern. In my opinion, the strategic decision is the right one.
Advertisement
"But whether and to what extent a player who has played one season in the Bundesliga is already at the point where he can strengthen FC Bayern Munich is a question that will be decided on the coach's back, whether and how he can integrate him.
"He's not a finished player yet. My concern is that all this hype will put a strain on him – and that he might not be able to properly assess things and will have difficulty maintaining his consistent performance next season.
"I take my hat off to Florian Wirtz, who, in my opinion, has done very, very well. Unlike many others, he has completed his development at Leverkusen. From a sporting perspective, I completely understand that, and perhaps such a young player should take a leaf out of his book. If [Woltemade] were to complete his development in Stuttgart for another year or two, he would still have enough time to earn even more money at Bayern or elsewhere."
WHAT NEXT?
WHAT NEXT?
It remains to be seen if Bayern can succeed in their ambition to sign Woltemade. If reports are to be believed, the Bavarians are ready to offer a five-year deal on a €7.5 million per year (£6.4m/$8.7m) salary, with the potential to rise to €10m. According to Bild, Stuttgart have set an asking price of €60m (£51m/$71m).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Upturn
34 minutes ago
- Business Upturn
Chelsea sign Jamie Bynoe-Gittens from Borussia Dortmund on a 7-year deal
Chelsea have signed one of their targets of the summer, i.e. Jamie Bynoe-Gittens from Borussia Dortmund on a 7-year deal. By Ravi Kumar Jha Published on July 4, 2025, 08:21 IST Chelsea have signed one of their targets of the summer, i.e. Jamie Bynoe-Gittens from Borussia Dortmund on a 7-year deal. As per Fabrizio Romano, the final fee of the transfer will be 48.5 million pounds plus 3.5 million (add-ons). This huge deal is going to run until June 2032. The deal hasn't made official by Chelsea yet, but it could be done anytime soon. Chelsea have secured one of their key transfer targets of the summer, agreeing a deal to sign English winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens from Borussia Dortmund. As reported by renowned transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the Blues have reached a full agreement with the German club for a package worth £52 million — comprising a £48.5 million base fee plus £3.5 million in add-ons. The 19-year-old has signed a long-term contract that will keep him at Stamford Bridge until June 2032, marking another bold move by Chelsea in their ongoing youth-focused recruitment strategy. While Chelsea are yet to officially announce the transfer, the deal is considered all but done and confirmation could arrive at any moment. Bynoe-Gittens, known for his pace, flair, and creativity, made a name for himself at Dortmund with his exciting performances in the Bundesliga. Ahmedabad Plane Crash Ravi kumar jha is an undergraduate student in Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia and Mass Communication. A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication and he also has a genuine interest in sports. Ravi is currently working as a journalist at
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Conor Bradley lost for words following death of 'incredible person' Diogo Jota
Conor Bradley was lost for words to describe how he is feeling following the death of his Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota. Bradley is one of a number of Reds stars to pay tribute to the Portuguese striker following tragic passing as a result of a car accident in Spain in the early hours of Thursday morning. Advertisement Jota and his brother Andre lost their lives after the Lamborghini 'left the road due to a tyre blow out while overtaking' according to the Spanish Guardia Civil. READ MORE: Diogo Jota said emotional goodbye to 'best friend' at Liverpool before tragic death READ MORE: Sean McComb open to all-Irish fight after making a winning return to the ring The news has left the footballing world stunned and none more so that at Anfield where fans have gathered to lay tributes to the 28-year-old and his brother. Players and supporters alike have also paid their respects on social media with Northern Ireland international Bradley posting his own heartfelt tribute to his 'brother' Jota on Instagram with a picture of them celebrating Liverpool's Premier League title success. Advertisement His post read: "Rest in peace brother. Don't have the words to describe how I'm feeling but I know we lost an incredible person today." Conor Bradley's tribute to Diogo Jota on Instagram Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, who signed Jota from Wolves in 2020, said he was heartbroken by the news. "This is a moment where I struggle - there must be a bigger purpose, but I can't see it," said the manager. "I'm heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother André. "Diogo was a not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father! We will miss you so much! "All my prayers, thoughts and power to Rute, the kids, the family, the friends and everyone who loved them! Rest in peace - Love J." Advertisement Liverpool have opened up books of condolence for fans to pay their respects. A club statement read: "We have opened physical and digital books of condolence, following the devastating passing of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre. "Supporters and members of the public can sign the physical book, which will be placed in the Anfield Road Stand reception area at Anfield during the following hours: "Thursday, July 3 – 5pm-9pm, with a limited number of books available this evening. Friday, July 4 – 9am-9pm, Saturday, July 5 – 9am-5pm, Sunday, July 6 – 9am-5pm. "The online book of condolence is available to be signed on our website, and is accessible to fans across the globe."
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Chelsea boss Maresca will let Neto decide whether to play following Jota tragedy
Enzo Maresca will let Pedro Neto decide if he is in the right frame of mind to play for Chelsea in Friday's Club World Cup quarterfinal clash against Palmeiras, after the tragic death of his international team-mate Diogo Jota. 'He's very sad,' manager Maresca said of Neto at his pre-match press conference in Philadelphia on Thursday. 'More than sad, but we are also close to Pedro to support him in this moment. Advertisement 'It's completely Pedro's decision (if he wants to play). I had a chat this morning with Pedro and we support him. Whatever decision he will take, it is the correct one and we are going to support him in any case, so it doesn't matter if he will be on the pitch. We will see how he is feeling tomorrow.' Liverpool's Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva, 25, were killed in a car accident in Spain when their vehicle veered off a road and burst into flames near the Spanish city of Zamora, according to police. Jota is succeeded by his wife Rute Cardoso – the pair married just weeks ago – and three children. Elsewhere in the Chelsea squad, Romeo Lavia remains a fitness doubt but Maresca will give every chance to the 21-year old — particularly when considering that fellow midfielder Moises Caicedo is suspended for the clash at Lincoln Financial Field. 'Romeo, we're not sure if he can be fit — we're going to try tomorrow,' Maresca revealed. 'He had small problems at the end of the last game against Benfica, it's just a muscle problem. As I said, tomorrow we'll see if he's fit, but if not we're going to have to find different solutions because Moises is suspended.' New £50million signing Joao Pedro has integrated with the squad well since arriving in the United States, and Maresca did not rule out the possibility of handing minutes to the Brazilian international if the opportunity was there. 'Joao's situation is a bit strange, or different, because he was on holiday,' Maresca said. 'He was working (on holiday), but it's not the same when you work for yourself compared with when you work for the team. But we are really happy with Joao, the last two days he played with us — we will see if we need him. If we have a chance to give him some minutes, we will give him some minutes.' Chelsea will also come up against one of their future players in Palmeiras' teenage starlet Estevao. However, Maresca was keen to ensure that Chelsea remain focused in their preparation against Abel Ferreira's side rather than singling out any particular individual. Advertisement 'When we prepare games, we think about the team, not the players on the other side — and we have done exactly the same for this game,' Maresca said. 'We prepare the game for Palmeiras not against Estevao.' 'In this moment he is a Palmeiras player and he is going to play against Chelsea tomorrow. The only thing we are focused on is doing our best to beat Palmeiras and not beating Estevao.' Chelsea needed extra-time to get past Benfica in a weather-delayed round of 16 contest, but has landed in what can fairly be considered the easier half of the draw. Victory over Palmeiras would set up a semifinal against either Fluminense or Al Hilal on Tuesday.
