Much More Than Height: Nick Woltemade’s Complete Skillset
Imagine watching a player of the physical dimension of Peter Crouch, the dribbling prowess of Neymar, and the vision of Karim Benzema. There’s no need to imagine: you can find a player with precisely these qualities in southeastern Germany. Take a trip to Stuttgart, and you’ll find a player who not only has everything it takes to be Germany’s #9, but one of the best strikers in world football. At 23 years of age, Nick Woltemade has emerged as one of the most in-form attackers in the Bundesliga, captivating global attention thanks to his aesthetically pleasing goals and incredible technique for a player of his size.
At 1.98 meters, Woltemade seems like a typical target man who lives inside the area, preying on crosses to head home from; instead, he’s the complete package in the attack. He develops his best football from the left flank, but his biggest zone of contact is in the opposing third where he plays as a second striker for Stuttgart or as a #9 in Germany’s U-21 side. He’s superb at linking up play and reading the game, and he doesn’t just participate in scoring, but the creation of a team’s attacking plays, averaging 1.2 key passes per match in the Bundesliga.
Born in Bremen, Germany, Woltemade spent 14 years at Werder Bremen’s academy before making the move to Stuttgart in 2024, where he thrived with 17 goals and 3 assists in 33 appearances across his debut season. Such performances have seen him tipped for stardom with the German national team, who have been crying out for a target man who can link up well with the likes of Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz and provide a reference point up top.
It’s expected that only players with a low center of gravity can balance themselves well and change the rhythm in an effective manner, as well as drop the shoulder and dribble past opponents. However, in Woldemade’s case, he stands at nearly two meters tall and is able to dribble effectively and control the ball with masterful ability. He puts the spectator at the edge of their seat with his thrilling movement and on-ball skills, generating danger with his piercing runs and goal-scoring prowess.
Despite his height, he boasts the agility and talent to move between lines and free himself of his marker before creating goal-scoring opportunities, with his direct approach in front of goal distinguishing him from many teammates. He is comfortable with finishing on either foot and is skilled at carving out an opportunity with his shot, and whilst he isn’t quite as effective in aerial battles as he should be, he’s certainly making strides in this regard. He doesn’t need a lot of touches to deliver a potent shot and test the goalkeeper, whether from outside the box or inside, although his main area for improvement is ball control.
He doesn’t usually go for power, but placement in his shots, which speaks volumes about his maturity and ice-cold finishing inside the box. Whenever he’s playing as a second striker, Woltemade does well to reach the box and take advantage or rebounds or low crosses into the penalty box, where he utilizes his impressive timing to position himself in the correct spot. He takes up positions in the blindside of defenders, and whilst he doesn’t force his actions, he instead waits for the right time, remaining quiet before attacking the goal.
Replacing a 28-Goal Striker: Why Ermedin Demirović Perfectly Fits Stuttgart’s System
Woltemade’s link-up play is also superb; he doesn’t just support his teammates in offensive actions, but he also generates dangerous plays thanks to his great vision, key passes, and high average of touches per match. As such, he is a versatile striker who can adapt to any particular style, whether it’s in a one-striker or two-striker format, thriving with his back to goal or facing the goal.
He does incredibly well to read his teammates and release the ball at the right time, allowing him to participate in quick transitions and generate numerical superiorities in the final third. The German forward excels at dropping in between the lines and receiving the ball, especially when the team needs a greater presence in midfield, helping him to drag markers out of position and free up space for his attacking teammates. He participates in approximately 28% of Stuttgart’s goals whenever he’s on the pitch, whether that’s scoring, assisting, or engineering the play.
In terms of defense, he sacrifices a lot to track back and recover balls, averaging nearly two recoveries and three ground duels (four overall) per match. As a striker with the soul of a #10, his physical characteristics have seen him enjoy a meteoric rise under Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeneß. He presses the center backs and rival midfielders with an impressive tactical discipline, choosing when to activate the pressure and using his physical brute to block passing lanes for the opposition and harass their build-up play.
He covers plenty of ground each game and utilizes his stellar motor to drop deep when needed and recover possession in his own half, and at 23, he’s only going to improve. Woltemade played a vital role in Germany’s run to the recently completed UEFA European Under-21 Championship Final, where they would lose 3-2 in extra time to England. In total, he finished as the top scorer of the tournament with an impressive six goals and was named into the Team of the Tournament alongside the likes of Geovany Quenda, Elliot Anderson and Tino Livramento.
Woltemade has already made his senior debut for Germany under Julian Nagelsmann, and it’s likely that he’ll play a pivotal role for their attack in next summer’s FIFA World Cup. And after a sensational campaign that saw him finish as top scorer in the DFB-Pokal and lead Stuttgart to their first trophy in 18 years, it’s seemingly only a matter of time before Woltemade trades Stuttgart for greener pastures, with Bayern Munich linked with a move.
After Hiroki Ito (Bayern Munich), Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund, and Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund), Woltemade could very well be the next player to leave Stuttgart for one of the biggest clubs in Germany — the only question is, when and where?
By: Brian Guevara / @brianguevarag
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / VfB Stuttgart