Eddie Howe believes Newcastle United have signed a great character in Nick Woltemade after impressing on the training ground.
The Magpies can take a lot of pride from their summer spending, with six senior signings made for key areas of the starting XI.
Newcastle United’s most expensive signing was Nick Woltemade from VfB Stuttgart, who joined for a club record fee of £69m in the final days of the transfer window.
The 23-year-old is in line to make his debut for the club following news that Yoane Wissa will miss the Wolves game after suffering a knee injury on international duty.
Woltemade is being thrown straight into the deep end, likely to start against Wolves at St James’ Park after his first few training sessions on Tyneside. With the striker settling in, head coach Eddie Howe has shared what Woltemade has brought to the club since joining.
Nick Woltemade looks on during a Newcastle United Training Session
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Nick Woltemade is very selfless in training, says Eddie Howe
Newcastle players are loving Woltemade’s attitude and have noticed that he is playing with a smile on his face.
The striker has now been exposed to Howe’s training methods, although it has only been for a few days. It could still be enough for him to earn a start on Saturday.
Paul Merson wants Howe to start Woltemade against Wolves. He could now get his wish after Wissa’s injury blow.
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In his pre-match press conference, Howe gave some insight into how Woltemade has conducted himself behind the scenes.
“I think what you see is what you get with Nick,” Howe told the press.
“He’s sort of laid back to a degree, but also really relaxed, funny, he’s got a great sense of humour, we could see that straight away. Very warm person. Spoke really well about the team dynamic and wanting to help the team and bringing his qualities to the group. Very selfless in that respect.
“I’ve seen little pictures of him out and about, which is great, because he needs to feel at home, and I think that’s the biggest thing.
“We need him to view the team and the club and the training ground as his new home as quickly as possible.
“I’m sure everyone is doing their best to make him feel at home.”
Nick Woltemade is under pressure to deliver after Yoane Wissa injury blow
There is no word on Wissa’s injury other than it being an issue with his knee, but early signs suggest that it may be a worrying one.
Fans will not know about the severity of Wissa’s injury until later this week after scans, but it would be a real kick in the teeth if the problem keeps him out for weeks.
His issue means that Newcastle must now rely on the very talented but admittedly green Woltemade, who is now under pressure to deliver immediate results on Tyneside.
Woltemade is match fit, having played twice for Germany over the international break, but the Premier League is a completely different game, and he will need to be at his very best if he wants to make an impact.
Les Ferdinand is worried about Woltemade, claiming he may not be able to fill Alexander Isak’s shoes. The striker will be keen to silence the doubters on his debut.