Eddie Howe’s Magpies broke their transfer record to sign the highly rated 23-year-old from German club Stuttgart for a reported club record fee of £69 million to replace now Liverpool striker Alexander Isak late in the summer window.
Since then, he’s scored three goals in his four Premier League appearances and a goal in his last three consecutive games across all competitions. Of all the league’s summer striker signings, he’s scored the joint most alongside Hugo Ekiteke and Viktor Gyokeres.
Bayern Munich legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge may not like it, branding the Premier League side ‘idiots’ for paying such a fee for Woltemade, but so far at least, the giant forward is proving them right.
Sour grapes from rejected Bayern Munich
Several reports have suggested that the Bavarains had two bids rejected by Stuttgart to sign Woltemade, but they were unwilling to meet their asking price, which Newcastle ultimately did. Instead, Bayern signed Nicolas Jackson on loan from Chelsea.
In Germany, there is largely an expectation that what Bayern want, Bayern get, but that wasn’t the case this time. Stuttgart stood firm, and a cash rich Premier League side came in and made an offer they couldn’t refuse.
Rummenigge didn’t take it well, saying in an interview with Blickpunkt Sport: "I can only congratulate those in Stuttgart for finding - I'll use quotation marks here - an idiot who paid that much money. Because we certainly wouldn't have done that in Munich."
Howe defended the club's outlay. "It's irrelevant, really," the Newcastle head coach said. "The market forces dictate transfer fees – not necessarily any one club.
"We're very pleased to have Nick with us. I think he's started very strongly in what has been a difficult period for him because he's been thrust straight into action with no training time of note with us.
"We're really pleased to have him with us and the transfer fee is absolutely irrelevant."
A BIG presence in the box
Standing at 6’4”, Isak isn’t a little man, but he is dwarfed compared to the giant 6’6” Woltemade. Newacstle’s game while Isak was in the squad was centered around using their wingers, usually Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy, to get the ball into Isak.
By signing fellow target man Woltemade, Howe avoids having to overhaul his attacking setup as much as he would have if Newcastle had landed Liam Delap or João Pedro, two players they had pursued earlier in the summer. It’s also why exploring a move for Benjamin Sesko made so much sense.
Of Isak’s 14 attempted headers on goal in the Premier League last season, he scored four of them. As for Woltemade, two of his league goals so far have come off his giant head, with the latest being a truly remarkable penalty in the 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
As every game goes on, the German is getting to grips with the Premier League, battling it out with one of the most physical defenders football has to offer in Nikola Milenkovic in the in over Ange Postecoglou’s side.
Even Bruno Guimaraes has been surprised by his quick adaptation, saying: “Nick has been amazing for us, not just scoring goals, but the build-up, the way he dropped as a No 10,” the Newcastle captain, said. “It’s not so common for a player that tall to be that good with his feet.”
Howe agrees, adding: “We expected a lot from him, because we believe in him,” Howe said. “We believe he can make the transition from another league to this one, but it’s so difficult with no training to be thrust straight in. Nick hardly knew his team-mates’ names and then he’s playing.
“You’re judged instantly on whether you’re going to be a success or failure. He’s made such a positive impression around the training ground, and he’s delivered on the pitch.”
Verdict
There haven’t been many players to come from the Bundesliga that have been an instant hit like Woltemade has been, just ask Florian Wirtz. Of all this summer’s big attacking signings, Woltemade looks like he may well be a bargain, sorry Karl.