Bayern Munich Board Member Criticizes Newcastle's £63m Woltemade Signing

Woltemade transfer, Rummenigge questions Newcastle's sanity

Newcastle's £63m signing of Nick Woltemade sparks criticism from Bayern Munich board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Bayern Munich's Karl-Heinz Rummenigge calls Newcastle's £63m signing of Nick Woltemade 'idiotic'.

“I can only congratulate those in Stuttgart that they — and now I will use inverted commas — found an idiot who will pay that much money...”

Bayern Munich board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has criticized Newcastle United for their £63 million transfer of Nick Woltemade from VfB Stuttgart, calling them “idiots” for meeting the asking price. Rummenigge stated that Bayern wouldn't have paid such a large sum for the 23-year-old striker, citing concerns over inflated transfer fees in modern football.

“I can only congratulate those in Stuttgart that they — and now I will use inverted commas — found an idiot who will pay that much money,” Rummenigge told BR broadcaster. “Because we would have certainly not done that in Munich. We shouldn't meet any demand to make someone happy, especially those financiers in Stuttgart.”

Despite the controversy surrounding his transfer fee, Woltemade has scored two goals in five appearances for Newcastle United since joining the Premier League side. VfB Stuttgart CEO Alexander Wehrle responded to Rummenigge's comments, saying, “We are always happy when we get congratulations from Munich.”

Note that there are varying reports of the transfer fee, with some sources citing £69 million or €75 million. However, the exact figure remains consistent in the context of Rummenigge's criticism.

Big Nick 🤩

Nick Woltemade wins the @Sela Player of the Month for September! 🙌🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/etus5hiKlW

— Newcastle United (@NUFC) September 30, 2025

“Because we would have certainly not done that in Munich, he added.

“We should not meet any demand to make someone happy, especially those financiers in Stuttgart.”

Nick Woltemade has scored two goals in five appearances since joining the Premier League side Newcastle United. The 23-year-old German striker has made a promising start to his career with the club, despite Karl-Heinz Rummenigge's criticism of the transfer fee.

“I can only congratulate Stuttgart that they have found – I now say in quotation marks – 'idiots' who paid so much money,” Rummenigge said, referring to Newcastle's €80m deal for Woltemade, which could rise to €90m with bonuses. He expressed concerns about the rapidly rising transfer fees in football, warning that Bayern Munich's 50+1 ownership structure might struggle to keep up with Premier League clubs and state-owned teams.

“We are always happy about congratulations from Munich,” VfB Stuttgart CEO Alexander Wehrle responded with a touch of sarcasm, thanking Rummenigge for his “congratulations.”

Woltemade's transfer from VfB Stuttgart to Newcastle United was reportedly worth €80m, with potential bonuses taking the total to €90m. Stuttgart CEO Alexander Wehrle seemed pleased with the deal, given the club's satisfaction at receiving a significant sum for the player.