Who is Lukas Nmecha? Wolfsburg's Germany striker who spurned Man City and England

Stuart Telford

• 3 Nov 2022 15:09 GMT
• 4 min read

Lukas Nmecha could go to the World Cup as a striker with Germany, but he could have been turning out for England instead. What else is there to know about the Manchester City academy graduate?

Nmecha was born in Hamburg but relocated to England with his family as a youngster before he was scouted by Man City, who signed him as an eight-year-old in 2007. He soon raced through their youth academy - where he was joined by younger brother Felix - and made his first-team debut in 2017.

But with the likes of Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus blocking his path to first-team football, Nmecha left on a series of loans to Preston North End, Wolfsburg, Middlesbrough and Anderlecht before returning to the Wolves on a permanent basis at the start of last season.

READ: Five years on: Where are England's under-19 European Championship winners now?

It was during his first spell at Wolfsburg that Nmecha switched international allegiances from England to Germany. After 31 youth international appearances with the former, he scored 12 in 20 with Germany's under-21s before making his full debut last November.

What position does Nmecha play in?

At an athletic 6'1", Nmecha is primarily a striker, from where he can occupy opposition centre-backs as well as outpace them, but he is also capable of lining up deeper on the left flank, from where he has more space to run at defenders.

How good is Nmecha?

Good enough to be seen as the potential solution to Germany's problems at centre-forward. The nation that produced Gerd Muller, Rudi Voller and Jurgen Klinsmann haven't had a world class No.9 since Miroslav Klose hung up his boots in 2014.

READ: Giroud is still better than any Chelsea striker

Kai Havertz and Timo Werner don't always look like the most natural fits in the position, and Nmecha, who scored 10 goals in all competitions for Wolfsburg in all competitions last season including two in the Champions League, deserves the chance to prove he can do the jersey justice.

What clubs are interested in Nmecha?

Man City have a buy-back option on Nmecha but they are unlikely to exercise it with Erling Haaland now lighting up the Premier League. RB Leipzig were also in for the striker before he decided to move to Wolfsburg - alongside brother Felix - last summer.

When does Nmecha's contract expire?

Nmecha's contract at the Volkswagen Arena runs until 30 June 2025.

How old is Nmecha?

Born on 14 December 1998, Nmecha is 23 at the time of writing.

He shares a birthdate with former England striking great Michael Owen.

What is Nmecha's Instagram?

Lukas Nmecha's Instagram has 79.1K followers as of November 2022.