Germany’s coach Julian Nagelsmann denies advising Nick Woltemade against joining Bayern Munich, suggesting his Newcastle move might help his World Cup chances. Woltemade recently earned his first senior caps and had a strong season with Stuttgart. While linked to Bayern, he ultimately moved to Newcastle for €80m to replace Alexander Isak. Nagelsmann emphasizes the importance of regular playing time for World Cup selection, a point echoed by Toni Kroos, who was surprised Woltemade didn’t choose Bayern. Germany is preparing for World Cup qualifiers against Slovakia and Northern Ireland.
Julian Nagelsmann has refuted claims that he advised Nick Woltemade against a potential move to Bayern Munich. However, the Germany national team coach suggested that Woltemade's transfer to Newcastle United could, in fact, bolster his chances of securing a spot in the national squad for the upcoming World Cup.
Woltemade, a rising star in German football, earned his first two senior international caps in June, marking a significant milestone in his career. He featured prominently in Germany's Nations League campaign, starting in the semi-final clash against Portugal, which ended in defeat, and also in the third-place play-off encounter against France.
During the previous season, while playing for Stuttgart, Woltemade showcased his attacking prowess by scoring an impressive total of 17 goals across all competitions. Of these, 12 were scored in the Bundesliga, Germany's top-tier football league, highlighting his effectiveness in domestic competition. The remaining five goals came in the DFL-Pokal, the German domestic cup, where VfB Stuttgart emerged victorious, claiming their first major trophy in 18 years.
Following his impressive performances, Woltemade is now poised to take on a crucial role at Newcastle United, filling the void left by Alexander Isak, alongside former Brentford forward Yoane Wissa. Woltemade's move to the Tyneside club was finalized in a substantial €80m (£69m) transfer deal, reflecting the high expectations placed on him.
Prior to his move to Newcastle, the 23-year-old forward was heavily linked with a transfer to Bayern Munich, one of the most prestigious clubs in Germany. However, it was widely speculated that Germany's national team boss, Julian Nagelsmann, did not endorse this potential transfer, raising questions about the factors influencing Woltemade's career decisions.
Speaking at a press conference in anticipation of Thursday's World Cup qualifier against Slovakia, Nagelsmann addressed the rumors surrounding Woltemade's transfer situation. He acknowledged that Woltemade had the option to join Bayern Munich but conceded that such a move might have negatively impacted his chances of representing Germany at the World Cup.
"I think it’s unfortunate on all sides that everything was played out so publicly with Bayern. Of course, I gave him some advice," Nagelsmann explained, emphasizing the sensitive nature of the discussions.
"I didn’t say where he should move, I don’t do that. But I told him that players have to play [regularly]," he clarified, underscoring the importance of consistent playing time for a player's development and international prospects.
Nagelsmann expressed concern about the potential impact of certain summer transfers on the national team's prospects. "I didn’t consider a few of the summer transfers to be entirely fortunate for us because some players go from 100% playing time to 15%," he noted, highlighting the challenge of managing players with reduced playing time at their respective clubs.
"That doesn’t do me much good as a national coach. I told Nick he was welcome to move to Bayern if he wanted to," Nagelsmann reiterated, emphasizing that the decision ultimately rested with the player.
"But players should also be clear that with 25% playing time, things would be tight for them for the World Cup,” he added, driving home the point that consistent playing time is crucial for World Cup selection.
Meanwhile, Toni Kroos, the experienced midfielder who played a pivotal role in Germany's 2014 World Cup triumph, expressed his surprise at Woltemade's decision to buck the trend of German players typically opting for Bayern Munich.
“If you take a closer look, it’s not so surprising, because this Isak thing had been going on for a long time, and he didn’t want to play there anymore,” Kroos said on his podcast Einfach mal Luppen.
“The fact that Newcastle would then look at the market to see what strikers were available was also not surprising. What surprises me is that he actually went there, because we read he was definitely going to Bayern.”
Following their match against Slovakia, Germany is scheduled to face Northern Ireland in Koln on Sunday. Their Group A campaign is yet to commence, with Luxembourg completing the teams in their pool. The German national team is hoping for positive results in their upcoming matches.