Newcastle United beat Bayern Munich to secure Nick Woltemade’s signature, in what was a major statement of intent.
Throughout the summer, Nick Woltemade was expected to join Bayern Munich.
Once Newcastle United caught wind that a deal was not happening, they made their move. Newcastle bought Woltemade from Stuttgart for £69million, with that transfer kicking off a chain of events that resulted in Alexander Isak leaving.
The 23-year-old became Newcastle’s most expensive signing ever, which puts him under a lot of pressure. He also has the pressure of replacing Isak, which is going to be a real challenge.
But Woltemade is a player with huge potential. That is why Bayern Munich wanted him, and it is why the Magpies ultimately spent so much money on him.
Michael Ballack explains why Bayern Munich did not sign Nick Woltemade before Newcastle United
Following the deal, former Germany and Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack has given his thoughts on the amount Newcastle paid for Woltemade.
Ballack has been speaking to Bild about Woltemade and Florian Wirtz moving to the Premier League, admitting that the money English clubs spend on new signings is ‘insane’.
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“Of course, English clubs pay insane amounts,” he said.
“But even for Wirtz, Bayern were prepared to put together a package worth up to €100million.
“And as for Nick Woltemade: That’s a different case. Bayern has a financial budget. The club has excelled for decades by staying out of debt and growing big. That’s why I understand why Bayern decided not to pay more than €55million for Woltemade. Because the player wasn’t worth more to them.”
Michael Ballack does punditry during a Champions League game between Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Why Newcastle United had to overspend on Nick Woltemade
Effectively, Bayern could not afford Woltemade. The majority of their transfer budget went on Luis Diaz, who arrived from Liverpool for £65.5million.
In contrast, Newcastle could afford Woltemade, and they did.
It could be argued that the Magpies overspent on him, with his goal record leaving a lot to be desired.
But Newcastle have invested in potential, while they were put in a position where they had to overspend on a striker.
The Alexander Isak situation had become so toxic that Newcastle knew they needed to sell. However, that would only be possible if a marquee name arrived in his place. But everyone knew how desperate the Magpies were so late in the window, in a summer that saw so many strikers change clubs for inflated prices.
Newcastle were backed into a corner, and simply had to bow down to Stuttgart’s demands. A deal worth an initial £65million was agreed, plus £4million in add-ons.
The hope is that it will be money well spent in the coming years. If that does prove to be the case, it will be interesting to know whether Bayern Munich regret passing up the opportunity to sign him before Eddie Howe’s side.
Toon fans will get their first chance to see the big man in action on Saturday, as Newcastle play Wolves at St James’ Park. However, it will likely be as a substitute with Yoane Wissa expected to start as striker.