Endrick arrived with high expectations; many saw him as the next gem of world soccer. However, reality is showing that he isn't going through his best moment. Other young players are surpassing him in development and performance.
A clear example is Gonzalo García, a footballer who has burst onto the scene with strength and has surprised everyone with his level. While Endrick is struggling to establish himself, Gonzalo is positioning himself as the true discovery of the season, earning minutes, confidence, and goals.
This doesn't mean that Endrick has lost his potential, but it does mean that the shine of other young talents is overshadowing him. In this scenario, Nick Woltemade appears, a player who's attracting the attention of major European clubs.
Nick Woltemade, the summer saga
Nick Woltemade, a 23-year-old striker from Stuttgart, has become the protagonist of the transfer market saga with Bayern Munich. The German giant is willing to sign him, but negotiations are stalled.
Bayern has made two significant offers: €40 million ($43.6 million) and €50 million ($54.4 million) plus bonuses, but Stuttgart has rejected them. The Swabian club is asking for around €65 million ($70.8 million) to sit down and negotiate. It's a high figure, but it reflects the value they place on Woltemade.
Tired of the uncertainty, the player himself has decided to push. According to "sport.de", he has set a deadline for Bayern to make a decision before the end of this week. If there's no agreement, Woltemade could look at other options in 2026.
Why is Woltemade so interesting to Florentino Pérez?
Florentino Pérez, president of Real Madrid, is paying close attention to this move. He knows that Woltemade is a young, complete striker with great scoring ability and enormous potential. In addition, his recent performance—17 goals in 33 matches and top scorer of the Under-21 European Championship—speaks for itself.
Madrid considers that Woltemade is more complete and in better form than Endrick, so it doesn't rule out going after him. There's talk of an offer close to €65 million ($70.8 million) to snatch him from Bayern, which has the first option.
The Bayern-Stuttgart standoff and Woltemade's future
Stuttgart, with its sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth, keeps a firm stance. Woltemade is key for the team and has a contract until 2028. In addition, the player rejected a contract extension with a salary increase from €1.5 million ($1.6 million) to €2.5 million ($2.7 million) per year.
Bayern, meanwhile, is offering him a much more lucrative contract: until 2030 with a salary that could reach €11 million ($12 million) gross. This puts pressure on Stuttgart to make a quick decision.
On August 16, when both teams face each other in the German Super Cup, it could be the key date to know the outcome.