Jamal Musiala will be sidelined for up to five months after suffering a left fibula fracture during Bayern's World Club Cup quarter-final match against PSG. This devastating injury has forced "Bayern Munich" to intensify their pursuit of Stuttgart striker Nick Woltemade as the Bavarian club faces an attacking crisis.
"Transfer windows have increasingly become part of the entertainment program," explained Stuttgart sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth in a recent interview with Kicker magazine. "However, that doesn't change our principles. We don't negotiate publicly and only reveal facts."
The injury to Musiala comes at the worst possible time for "Bayern," who are already dealing with the departures of Leroy Sané to Galatasaray and club legend Thomas Müller, whose contract wasn't renewed after their elimination from the World Club Cup. Coach Vincent Kompany now finds his attacking options severely limited.
Negotiations between the clubs have stalled over the transfer fee. Stuttgart is demanding at least 80 million euros for their prolific forward, while Bayern has offered approximately half that amount. But will Musiala's injury force Bayern's hand to meet the asking price?
By the way, Woltemade has been on vacation since June 28, when Germany's U-21 team lost the European Championship final to England in extra time (3-2). Despite not scoring in the final match, the Stuttgart striker finished as the tournament's top scorer with 6 goals and earned a place in UEFA's team of the tournament.
The towering 1.98m forward joined Stuttgart from Werder Bremen in 2024 and has been in red-hot form, netting 17 goals in 33 appearances across all competitions, including 12 goals in 28 Bundesliga matches.
His impressive performances haven't gone unnoticed at the international level either. Woltemade has already broken into the senior German national team, making his debut as a starter against Portugal in the Nations League semifinal last June, followed by a substitute appearance against France in the third-place match.
Can Bayern and Stuttgart find common ground in their negotiations? The clock is ticking for the Bavarian giants as they look to fill the massive void left by Musiala's absence.
