Bayern Munich given Nick Woltemade ultimatum by Stuttgart chief despite Bundesliga champions saying transfer is 'off the table'

Stuttgart CEO Alexander Wehrle has given Bayern Munich an ultimatum in the transfer saga for Woltemade. According to the Stuttgarter Zeitung newspaper, Bayern have until Saturday to table any new bids for the young striker.

Speaking to the media on Monday evening, Wehrle said: "If you really want to sign a player, you have to be able to reach a solution during this period. We're playing the Super Cup on Saturday. 

"Everything should be sorted out by kick-off at the latest. It's now been six and a half weeks. At some point, enough is enough." 

If a transfer does not go through by the time the game begins, the rising star will be considered "not for sale."

A decision should therefore have been made as to which team Woltemade will play for next season by the start of the match between Bayern and Stuttgart on Saturday. Bayern have been courting the striker, who made his breakthrough at Stuttgart last season, for some time. The German record champions are said to have already reached an agreement with the 23-year-old during the U21 European Championship.

During the six and a half weeks mentioned by Wehrle, there were several twists and turns in the negotiations for Woltemade. Most recently, Bayern's sporting director Max Eberl emphasised during the friendly match against Tottenham Hotspur that a transfer of the striker was "off the table". Die Roten had made two offers to Stuttgart, both of which were rejected immediately. Even the second offer, which was reportedly €50 million (£43m/$58m) plus an additional €5m in bonuses, did not lead to personal negotiations.

Die Schwaben continue to present themselves as tough negotiators and are unlikely to budge until an offer of €65 million (£56m/$75m) is made. They will not return to the negotiating table before then. In recent days, optimism had grown at Stuttgart that Woltemade would continue to chase goals in the club's jersey next season. Club president Dietmar Allgaier saw no reason to sell the player. "I don't want to mention any figures, but we at Stuttgart see no need to act and do not want to let Nick Woltemade go," he told kicker magazine.

Additional reporting by Finn Fichtner.