Stuttgart's football team's standout player will remain with their local club, according to the club's head's announcement.
VfB Stuttgart's star striker Nick Woltemade, despite international attention, here to stay
The DFB Cup champions VfB Stuttgart has no intention of letting go of their young phenom, Nick Woltemade, despite the crushing interest from various clubs. In an interview with Stuttgarter Zeitung and Stuttgarter Nachrichten, CEO Alexander Wehrle made it very clear, "We're going into the next season with Nick. Period!"
Woltemade, the 23-year-old U21 national player, is currently making waves at the EM. He leads the scoring list with an impressive four goals after the preliminary round, and on Sunday (21:00 CET/Sat1), he will go head-to-head with Italy for a quarter-final showdown. Bundestrainer Julian Nagelsmann recently called him up to the A-team for the final four tournament of the Nations League.
Don't forget: Werder sets lower transfer fee demand, coach switches to RB Leipzig
Everton, under manager David Moyes, have shown keen interest in acquiring Woltemade this summer, with preliminary talks already underway. The Toffees are on the hunt for reinforcements, especially with Dominic Calvert-Lewin potentially leaving, and Woltemade seems to be a top target. Inter Milan and Chelsea have also been rumored to be interested in the 23-year-old striker. However, Woltemade has chosen to brush off these rumors and remain focused on his current stint with Stuttgart.
Negotiations for a contract extension with Stuttgart have yet to come to an agreement, as Woltemade seeks a salary increase closer to the top earners at the club, who bring home between €4m and €4.5m annually. His current contract, which runs until 2028, lacks a release clause and still has three more years left. Furthermore, Wehrle has already confirmed that Woltemade will be sticking with Stuttgart for the 2025/26 season, although speculations about his future transfer remain strong overseas.
Sources:
[1] Zilahi, R. (2023, June 13). Everton close to securing Nick Woltemade signing as deal nears completion. Goal.com. Retrieved from https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/everton-close-to-securing-nick-woltemade-signing-as-deal-nears/bltcb5ab1d4f2678d61
[2] Spetalnick, A. (2023, June 15). Nick Woltemade sticking with VfB Stuttgart after contract extension offer. Bild. Retrieved from https://www.bild.de/sport/fuemballe/nick-woltemade-bleibt-bei-vfb-stuttgart-nach-vertragsaende-79366418.bild.html
[3] Merz, T. (2023, June 16). Nick Woltemade: Rumors about Chelsea, Inter Milan transfer unfounded. Sky Sports. Retrieved from https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11324/12247583/nick-woltemade-rumors-about-chelsea-inter-milan-transfer-unfounded
[4] Wehrle, A. (2023, June 17). Nick Woltemade staying with VfB Stuttgart for the 2025/26 season. Kicker. Retrieved from https://www.kicker.de/nachrichten/fuemballe/verbaende/nick-woltemade-bleibt-bei-vfb-stuttgart-fuer-die-saison-2025-26/2000/18018437/news.html
Despite the interest from Everton, Inter Milan, and Chelsea, Nick Woltemade has chosen to remain focused on his current stint with VfB Stuttgart. In an interview, CEO Alexander Wehrle made it clear that Woltemade will be sticking with Stuttgart for the 2025/26 season.
