Bayern bosses share their thoughts on Woltemade’s impending Newcastle transfer

Christoph Freund and Vincent Kompany have commented on Nick Woltemade’s imminent transfer from VfB Stuttgart to Newcastle United

Bayern Munich made several offers to sign Nick Woltemade, but all were turned down by VfB Stuttgart.

Now, the Stuttgart striker is widely reported to be on the verge of joining Newcastle United for a fee of €90 million. 

Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund shared his thoughts on the transfer during a press conference on Friday.

“I don’t want to get involved in speculation. There’s a rumor now, and that’s not really our topic. But fundamentally, if you look at the number of top players that have moved from the Bundesliga to the Premier League in the last 12 months and the sums involved, it says a lot about the insane resources that the Premier League has,” Freund said.

“And not just one, two, or three clubs – many clubs. Newcastle is a good club, but not in the top tier. The amount of money circulating is enormous. And it’s not just about money flowing from the Premier League to the Bundesliga, but also the quality moving to the Premier League.”

Sitting alongside Freund, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany was asked about the appeal of the Premier League and why so many players are drawn there.

“Money. I remember when I got promoted to the Premier League with Burnley. Suddenly, TV money comes in, and that’s €100 million – for newly promoted teams. From a budget of €25–30 million, you suddenly jump to €125–130 million. That’s roughly what Bundesliga teams in the top six or eight receive. Suddenly, Frankfurt and Wolfsburg are competing with Burnley for players,” he said.

“This isn’t just a debate for Bayern Munich – it’s about how the entire Bundesliga stays competitive. The players moving to the Premier League haven’t had five or six good years, just one or two.”

Florian Wirtz, Benjamin Sesko, Jeremie Frimpong, and Hugo Ekitiké are also among the Bundesliga players who have moved to England this summer.