In the world of football transfers, staggering sums are often thrown around, but Bayern Munich legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has made it crystal clear that some deals are simply beyond reason. The former club executive has now slammed Newcastle United’s €75 million plus €5 million add-ons move for VfB Stuttgart striker Nick Woltemade, insisting Bayern Munich were right to walk away.
Speaking on German outlet BR24, Rummenigge admitted he, along with Uli Hoeneß, Herbert Hainer, Jan Dreesen, and Max Eberl, immediately recognized Stuttgart’s demands as unrealistic.
“When the story with Woltemade and the financial demands came up, we all said: ‘Guys, these figures are no longer acceptable.’ We shouldn’t meet every demand just to make someone happy — especially Stuttgart’s financiers. I can only congratulate Stuttgart for finding — let me put this in quotation marks — ‘an idiot’ who paid that much. We certainly would not have done it in Munich.”
It was a vintage Rummenigge moment — brutally honest, sharp-tongued, and unapologetic. The 69-year-old’s words carry weight, not only because of his decades of service to Bayern, but also because the Bavarians have long built their dominance on a reputation for calculated, smart business.
While Stuttgart cashed in big on their striker, Bayern have quietly reinforced their own squad without breaking the bank. Harry Kane’s record-breaking arrival in 2023 was an exception, but most of the Rekordmeister’s moves since have been measured — strengthening with players like João Palhinha and Nicolas Jackson without venturing into transfer chaos.
By contrast, Newcastle’s willingness to go all-in on Woltemade has raised eyebrows across Europe. At 23, the striker is talented and promising, but €80 million is an extraordinary gamble for a player yet to prove himself consistently at the top level.
For Bayern, the refusal to engage wasn’t just about money — it was about principle. As Rummenigge made clear, the club will not be drawn into financial bidding wars that defy logic, even if it means losing out on a target.
As things stand, Bayern’s balance sheet looks healthy, the squad is thriving under Vincent Kompany, and Harry Kane continues to score freely. Stuttgart, meanwhile, can celebrate their windfall. Newcastle? Only time will tell if Woltemade can justify the tag that even Rummenigge calls “foolish.”
