Newcastle United are struggling to get the best out of Nick Woltemade.
The 23-year-old has enjoyed a very strong start to his Newcastle United career, but that is almost in spite of how he is being used.
Despite his six goals, Nick Woltemade is not being used to his full potential. He has struggled away from home, which is a consistent theme throughout the Newcastle United squad.
His start to life on Tyneside has been made all the more challenging by Yoane Wissa’s injury, with the 29-year-old yet to even make his debut. That has forced Woltemade to play more than expected.
But what will happen when Yoane Wissa is fit enough to feature? Well, some supporters are hoping that the strike duo can play up front together.
Nick Woltemade warms up before Newcastle United's game against Brentford.
Photo by MB Media/Getty Images
Newcastle United think Nick Woltemade would benefit from a partner
Woltemade and Wissa look suited to play alongside each other, with the former boasting a real desire to drop deep and link up play. In contrast, the latter is an out-and-out goalscorer.
That could make them quite the partnership, and it is something that people within the club are at least considering.
According to the Athletic, some Newcastle United insiders are of the belief that Woltemade would benefit from having another striker playing alongside him.
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The Athletic add that once Wissa is completely over his knee injury, the expectation is that he will be starting more often than Newcastle’s most expensive signing. That will allow Eddie Howe to dovetail his strikers, which is exactly what he used to do with Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson.
Eddie Howe on Yoane Wissa:
"He's working well. He's on the grass and he's building his fitness. The knee is feeling good and there's no problems with that. It's more a case of looking at his fitness, sharpness, all the things he's going to need to put together.
He's in a good… pic.twitter.com/rQAwp8WKH5
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) November 7, 2025
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How Newcastle United could accommodate Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa playing together
If Howe were to play Woltemade and Wissa together, the Newcastle United manager would have to deviate away from his preferred 4-3-3 formation.
The most likely solution would be a 4-4-2 or a 4-2-3-1 shape, with Woltemade operating as a number 10 in the latter. That would allow Newcastle to keep their width, with the likes of Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy providing crosses for the two Toon strikers.
Alternatively, Howe could mix things up even further by switching to a 3-5-2 system. That would be rather radical, while it would be bad news for those aforementioned wingers.
Another possible formation would also be bad for Newcastle United’s wide men, with a 4-4-2 diamond also worth considering. However, that feels the least likely outcome.