Football General Manager
- Woltemade wants clubs to discuss potential options
- Negotiations have stalled after Bayern signed Luis Diaz
- Both teams currently stand firm on their stance
Bayern made a second formal bid of around €55 million (£47m/$62m) for the German striker, which was rejected by Stuttgart. Bayern have made it clear that they won’t launch a third bid at the moment, and Stuttgart are also standing firm on their stance not to part ways with the 23-year-old unless the offer price matches their asking price. According to Bild the young striker is in a bad mood and has asked Stuttgart representatives to initiate talks with Bayern.
Woltemade has joined the Stuttgart camp, but his sole focus has reportedly been on trying to clinch a move to the 2024-25 Bundesliga champions. However, the player’s representatives and Bayern’s camp have both been irked by Stuttgart’s rigid stance. The 2024-25 DFB-Pokal winners have not even engaged in personal talks as of now and are adamant that their asking price must be met.
Stuttgart’s sporting department has decided to listen to suitable offers for the next two weeks – that is, until the DFL-Supercup on August 16. After that, the club will decline any proposed offers and will continue with Woltemade in the squad and in their future plans. Manchester United and Newcastle United are monitoring the striker’s situation and might make a move should they fail in their race to sign Benjamin Sesko.
Bayern are confident of reaching an agreement for Woltemade but aren’t sure when they will pursue him next. Woltemade’s actions are also considered positive by the Bayern camp. However, his contract with Stuttgart runs until 2028, and there is no release clause, which prompts Stuttgart to take a back seat and wait for his value to rise further.
Additional reporting by Tim Ursinus.
