Nick Woltemade Surprises VfB Stuttgart with Sudden Transfer to Newcastle

HAMBURG, Germany — Nick Woltemade, a former star of VfB Stuttgart, has made headlines with his unexpected transfer to Premier League club Newcastle United. The 23-year-old national player left Stuttgart last Thursday, taking a private jet to northern England without informing his teammates.

This sudden departure surprised many at Stuttgart. Maximilian Mittelstädt, a 28-year-old left-back for VfB, revealed after their recent 1-0 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach that Woltemade had not formally said goodbye. “He has not reached out to us yet. I have not heard anything from him,” Mittelstädt said.

Initially, Woltemade aimed to join Bayern Munich, who were interested in the striker. However, Bayern’s offers didn’t meet Stuttgart’s demands. Following the Supercup two weeks ago, it seemed Woltemade would remain at Stuttgart. Club CEO Alexander Wehrle frequently stated, “The file is closed.”

Things changed dramatically when Newcastle presented an extraordinary offer of €85 million plus €5 million in potential bonuses. Stuttgart could not refuse the deal, allowing Woltemade to leave, much to the surprise of his teammates. Mittelstädt commented, “It was unexpected. Generally, it was surprising that he left the club at all. No one was informed beforehand; it was a shock to everyone.”

He added, “This step is surely something he wanted to take, and we wish him the best. I hope we can compensate for his departure, both sportingly and personally.”

Now, Stuttgart’s management, including Wehrle and sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth, must act swiftly to fill the void left by Woltemade. Mittelstädt expressed the need for further reinforcements following the striker’s exit, stating, “We need not discuss that we still need reinforcements, especially offensively. We’ll see what happens next.”

The transfer window closes soon, and the pressure is on for Stuttgart to finalize new additions to their squad.