Rebuff from BVB: Newcastle United allegedly wanted to swap Dortmund star for Nick Woltemade

Newcastle would probably have liked to offset Nick Woltemade in a transfer involving Felix Nmecha, but Borussia Dortmund scuppered a possible swap.

Did Nick Woltemade come within a whisker of ending up at Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga after all? As Sport Bild report, BVB apparently pulled the plug on a spectacular swap deal at the last minute.

According to the report, Woltemade's club Newcastle United submitted a fresh offer to the Black and Yellows for midfielder Felix Nmecha, with Woltemade set to be included as a makeweight in a possible deal to bring the transfer fee down.

Sky had already reported at the start of August on the Magpies' interest in Nmecha, with BVB chief Ole Book relatively quickly ruling out a departure for the Germany international. Those statements did not appear to deter Newcastle, even though Dortmund's sporting director had said a move for Nmecha was "highly unlikely" and that he could "pretty much rule out" a transfer this summer. Bock had, however, left a small back door open: "Of course, in theory there can always be astronomical sums."

Still, Woltemade's club wanted to reduce that sum with the swap offer, although captain Bruno Guimaraes' move to Arsenal had brought around €87.5 million into the coffers. Before that, Anthony Gordon had already departed for FC Barcelona for more than €80 million and Sandro Tonali went to Tottenham for €108 million plus bonuses.

Gonzalez instead of Nmecha: Newcastle loan Woltemade to Turin

BVB never officially communicated what fee would have been "astronomical" enough. For an immediate transfer, however, €100 million to €120 million would probably have been required just to bring Book and Borussia to the negotiating table. In the end, Newcastle found their new central midfielder in Nico Gonzalez, who arrived from Manchester City for €56 million, while Woltemade ultimately moved to Juventus on loan.

Nmecha joined BVB from VfL Wolfsburg in 2023 for a €30 million fee. After early difficulties, also due to injuries, he established himself under coach Niko Kovac as a key player in defensive midfield. BVB are also essentially planning with him there for the new season alongside Jobe Bellingham. In the past campaign, he recorded five goals and three assists in 42 competitive appearances for the German runners-up.