Newcastle United new boy Nick Woltemade is hellbent on making Germany’s squad for next year’s World Cup.
Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann has admitted he advised Nick Woltemade to seek first-team football ahead of the World Cup next year.
Earlier in the summer, the 22-year-old was linked with a big-money move to Bayern Munich. The Bundesliga giants are renowned for mopping up domestic talent but could not get a deal over the line.
As it happened, Newcastle United pounced to sign the talented youngster after a wave of rejections throughout the summer. Toon chiefs desperately needed a striker - with Woltemade soon joined by Yoane Wissa to help fill the Alexander Isak void.
Julian Nagelsmann on Nick Woltemade
Speaking ahead of Germany’s double-header with Slovakia and Northern Ireland, Nagelsmann revealed he spoke to Woltemade about his big decision. The manager - sacked by Bayern in 2023 - warned him about a lack of game time.
"I think it's unfortunate on all sides that everything was played out so publicly with Bayern,” Nagelsmann said about the saga. “Of course, I gave him some advice. I didn't say where he should move, I don't do that. But I told him that players have to play (regularly).
"I didn't consider a few of the summer transfers to be entirely fortunate for us, because some players go from 100 per cent playing time to 15 per cent. That doesn't do me much good as a national coach.
“I told Nick he was welcome to move to Bayern if he wanted to. But players should also be clear that, with 25 per cent playing time, things would be tight for them for the World Cup."
Toni Kroos weighs in
Toni Kroos - who recently became a Newcastle admirer following the valiant defeat to Liverpool - was “surprised” Woltemade snubbed Bayern. He told his podcast: "If you take a closer look, it's not so surprising because this Isak thing had been going on for a long time and he didn't want to play there anymore.
"The fact that Newcastle would then look at the market to see what strikers were available was also not surprising. What surprises me is that he actually went there because we read he was definitely going to Bayern."
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Nick Woltemade on joining Newcastle United
“I’m really happy to be at this amazing club,” Woltemade told the club website upon his arrival. “From the first contact, I felt like the club really wanted me and had big plans for me. I know the stadium from watching games on television - it looks amazing and I know the atmosphere is crazy. I’m really excited to play and start scoring goals here.”
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