Hoeneß exclusively on transfer chaos: "We were all surprised"

FC Bayern's honorary president, Uli Hoeneß, speaks in an exclusive interview with BR24Sport about the Williams surprise, the Woltemade negotiations, and the transfer chaos. He also can't resist taking a swipe at Matthäus.

At the Club World Cup in the USA, FC Bayern Munich is currently playing solid football. Off the pitch, but also in the negotiating rooms and among the advisors, there has been a great deal of unrest for some time. The German record champions have been experiencing a veritable transfer drama in recent weeks: back and forth with players, a fruitless tug-of-war for major talent (Nico Williams), a successful battle for preferred candidates (Jonathan Tah), and a "undignified" chaos surrounding veteran Thomas Müller. In an exclusive interview with BR24Sport, FCB's honorary president, Uli Hoeneß, has now spoken out about the club's transfer situation.

When asked whether this transfer period was more surprising and unpredictable, Hoeneß denied it, citing Williams as an example: "It's nothing unusual for a club to extend the contract of its own player. If I were Bilbao, I would have done the same." FC Bayern, as well as FC Barcelona, ​​had competed for the top player and both were surprisingly turned down.

Hoeneß admitted in an exclusive interview with BR24Sport that he was surprised: "We all were – I'm also in close contact with Hansi Flick, who's currently vacationing at Tegernsee, and they were surprised too, because they had more or less already received a commitment." Regarding Williams's decision, he said: "I don't quite understand what he wants with this. But apparently, some people want more money."

But in the fast-moving transfer business, Williams is already a thing of the past. Nick Woltemade plays the leading role in the next act of the Munich transfer drama. "The Woltemade case is still pending," says Hoeneß. Negotiations with Woltemade's employer, VfB Stuttgart, are proving extremely difficult because the clubs appear to have different ideas about the transfer fee.

FC Bayern and Stuttgart have therefore agreed to a halt to negotiations until the end of the Club World Cup. A move Hoeneß welcomes, but he can't resist taking a swipe at Lothar Matthäus: "If Lothar stays calm, then it won't be an issue until then."

Lothar Matthäus recently suggested a possible transfer fee of 80 to 100 million euros for Woltemade. Hoeneß reacted promptly, accusing Matthäus of "losing his mind."

In an exclusive interview with BR24Sport, Hoeneß said of Woltemade: "I consider him a very, very good player who would fit in perfectly with us, and I would be very pleased if that works out this year, and if not, then next year."

The transfer window is open until the end of August. Until then, FCB will continue to focus on the left flank, according to Hoeneß. However, a strategy has already been developed at Säbener Straße : "We've discussed internally to only do sensible things."

Hoeneß considers Kingsley Coman, for example, to be a reasonable option. "For example, I really enjoyed him for an hour against Boca Juniors." If Coman weren't injured so often, "then we wouldn't have to worry at all." But the many games and the heavy workload simply demand a replacement— "but not at any price," says Hoeneß. "I don't know if I'd pay 60 to 70 million for a backup."

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Source: BR24Sport 05.07.2025 - 18:30