**Ever since Newcastle United agreed a deal worth up to £69 million with VfB Stuttgart for German international striker Nick Woltemade, the subject of the fee has been a topic of great debate.**
Many in England raised eyebrows at the Magpies forking out such a high fee for a player with such little experience playing in the higher echelons of the game.
However, it was in Germany that it really seemed to ruffle feathers.
Bayern Munich had branded Woltemade a priority target and had been negotiating for much of the summer with Stuttgart before Newcastle swooped in and bowed down to their demands. This caused plenty of bitter comments from Bayern officials claiming Newcastle had overpaid and branding the club 'idiots' for paying what Stuttgart wanted.
Lothar Matthaus says Newcastle's Nick Woltemade purchase reflects 'fair market value'
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We're the ones laughing now, however, as Woltemade has stepped up to lead the line for the Magpies and has scored six goals already, wowing onlookers with his ability.
Now, former German international Lothar Matthaus has leapt to the defence of the 6'6" striker and his price tag, speaking on BILD's Bayern Insider podcast, saying the striker is probably worth a nine-figure sum now.
> “Well, first of all, I’m happy for Woltemade that he’s arrived in the Premier League, arrived so quickly.“I was also pleased that he scored a beautiful goal with his shoulder against Northern Ireland, where we won 1-0. It was a well-placed goal, his first international goal. These sums aren’t just pulled out of thin air; it’s simply a fair market price, in my opinion.“Even if opinions differ on that. And I’m all for that, not everyone can have the same opinion. But seeing how quickly he’s settled in at the Premier League, I’d say that if Woltemade were to make a move, that’s a nine-figure sum, because those four Premier League goals and his first international goal naturally make him a bit more expensive.
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> “But I hope, and I expect, that he’ll at least settle down a bit during his time at Newcastle before we take the next step.”
Lothar Matthäus may have turned the Bayern mob against him
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Matthaus' words probably won't go down well in Bayern circles, saying that Newcastle paid 'fair market value' and suggesting that he'll stick around at Newcastle for a long while yet.
Suggesting that Big Nick would fetch over £100 million now is another indication of just how well he's doing since his arrival on Tyneside.
We're not letting this one go so easily, though. No sir.