The latest Newcastle United transfer news after the Magpies agree a £60.5 million deal for Stuttgart striker Nick Woltemade
Nick Woltemade
Newcastle have agreed a deal to sign Nick Woltemade with the striker set for a medical on Tyneside.
Newcastle United have finally found a breakthrough in their search for a new striker after agreeing a £60.5 million deal with Stuttgart to sign German international Nick Woltemade.
The 6ft6 striker was one of - if not - the standout performer for Germany's U21s side at this summers European Championship, finishing as top goal scorer with six goals. Bayern Munich are huge admirers of the 23-year-old and had a number of bids rejected this summer.
The Magpies have swooped in and Woltemade is set for a medical on Tyneside with Eddie Howe's side finally bolstering their striker ranks. Of course, questions about Alexander Isak's future remain and if the Toon can sign one of Yoane Wissa or Jorgen Strand-Larsen then the Swedish striker may finally move to Liverpool.
But what do we know of Woltemade besides his summer exploits? The German grew up in Bremen and came through the youth ranks at city giants Werder Bremen and made his Bundesliga debut as a 17-year-old, becoming their youngest even senior debutant.
He'd have a loan spell with third tier side SV Elversberg in 2022, scoring ten goals as they won promotion to the Bundesliga.2 and winning the 3. Liga's Player of the Season award before returning to Bremen. Woltemade found it tougher to hit the back of the net with two goals in 30 Bundesliga appearances in his final season at the Weserstadion.
He'd move to Stuttgart in the summer of 2024 and has flourished since then. Nicknamed 'Woltemessi' by teammates due to his impressive footwork and dribbling ability for someone of his size, drawing further comparisons to former Stuttgart favourite Sasa Kalajdzic - who also towered in at 6ft7.
Woltemade scored 17 goals in all competitions for VfB in 33 appearances last season - scoring in all five of the DFB Cup fixtures en route to the final which Stuttgart won.
Sebastian Hoeneß, head coach at Stuttgart has heaped praise on the young striker last season, stating: "Nick is a striker who also likes to drop back. He's showing more and more the qualities of a centre forward as time goes on."
The head coach wasn't the only manager impressed with the German international. "There's a lot of talk about him, and rightly so," Germany U21 coach Antonio Di Salvo admitted prior to the UEFA U21s European Championship this summer.
"The Nick we know is down-to-earth, always in a good mood and always has an eye for keeping the team together; connecting the team and the staff. It's a lot of fun with him; he deserves to be in the spotlight like this."
Woltemade has lofty ambitions and looked destined to join Bayern earlier in the window, harbouring ambitions of playing at the World Cup next summer in the USA.
"Playing in the 2026 World Cup is a goal of mine. I'm working on it. It will be difficult, no question, but I am giving my all," he told the DFB..
"When I was little, I always wanted to be able to achieve these goals someday. "The fact that all of this is happening so quickly is very exciting and also very wild; I'm very happy."
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