Atletico Madrid target ‘doubles in value’ on Euro U21 duty

Atletico Madrid could be in the market for a new striker this summer as part of Diego Simeone’s squad rebuild.

Despite the frustration – and financial impact – of bowing out in the FIFA Club World Cup group stages, Simeone will still have a sizeable transfer budget to work with.

Defence is rumoured to be a key focus for Simeone, with Liverpool star Andy Robertson now off the table, amid interest in Atalanta star Matteo Ruggeri.

However, there could also be changes at the other end of the pitch, to lighten the load on star man Julian Alvarez next season.

Antoine Griezmann’s contract extension, and flashes of promise from Alexander Sorloth underline Simeone’s options, but there is room for one more.

As per reports from Diario AS, one of the leading stars at this summer’s UEFA U21 European Championship has caught Simone’s eye with VfB Stuttgart striker Nick Woltemade added to his transfer shortlist.

Nick Woltemade’s Stuttgart contract, transfer value

Woltemade has scored six goals on route to Germany reaching the final of the competition and his profile fits what Simeone wants as a rotation for Sorloth.

The report claims Atletico Madrid reached out to Stuttgart before the competition kick off with his value set at €17m.

However, his performances in Slovakia have ramped that up and he could now be worth almost double that amount at around €30m.

Nick Woltemade’s Stuttgart stats

Woltemade’s superb first season in Stuttgart saw him called up for a senior Germany debut at the start of 2025.

The 23-year-old joined from Werder Bremen last summer, with the towering striker going on to score 12 Bundesliga goals and 17 overall in 2024/25, as Stuttgart finished ninth in the final rankings.

Simeone’s squad are due back for preseason training in mid-July with a friendly confirmed against Newcastle United on August 9 following a domestic training camp.