"Financially in a different league": Freund comments on Woltemade move | OneFootball

The Premier League remains a magnet for Bundesliga stars. Now, Nick Woltemade also appears to be heading to the island – much to the annoyance of FC Bayern. Two officials have now spoken about the financial reality behind such transfers.

After months of courting, it is clear: FC Bayern will miss out on Nick Woltemade. According to Sky, the national player is on the verge of a move to Newcastle United. Munich had already reached an agreement with the striker on a transfer. Ultimately, however, the decisive factor was the transfer fee – and probably also the salary package. According to the pay-TV channel, Newcastle is transferring around 85 million euros to VfB Stuttgart, with up to five million euros in bonuses potentially being added.

Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund commented on the matter at the press conference before the game in Augsburg: “When you see how many top players from the Bundesliga are moving to the Premier League and the amounts involved … You talk about these things. It’s not out of sight, out of mind. There is a market where things are evaluated. In the end, the player decides.”

The financial differences between the leagues are unmistakable, Freund continued: “The Premier League has many arguments on its side; financially, it’s in a different league. But we at FC Bayern are also very strong and know our role. We have to do our own thing; we can’t copy others.”

Kompany: “That’s simply the financial reality”

Coach Vincent Kompany was also asked about the wave of Bundesliga professionals moving to England. His answer was clear: “Money [laughs].” The Belgian elaborated: “We got promoted with Burnley from the Championship and suddenly TV money of 100 million is flowing in. You go from a budget of 25–30 million to 120–130 million – that puts you in competition with the top 6 of the Bundesliga. At Burnley, we were transfer market rivals of Frankfurt and Wolfsburg. Now Sunderland is buying from Leverkusen and competing with AC Milan. That’s simply the financial reality.”

Woltemade’s impending transfer is already the second painful loss to the Premier League for Bayern this summer. Previously, Florian Wirtz also decided against a move to Munich and instead committed to FC Liverpool.

For the 23-year-old Woltemade, who caught attention with strong performances for VfB Stuttgart in the second half of last season, the move represents the next step in his career. In Munich, he was seen as a potential relief for Harry Kane and as a replacement for the injured Jamal Musiala. But this scenario has now also fallen through.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.