1. FC Union Berlin - VfB Stuttgart
1. FC Union Berlin - VfB Stuttgart
Newcastle United have agreed a club-record £70million deal to sign Stuttgart forward Nick Woltemade, according to The Guardian, with the 23-year-old set for a medical on Tyneside on Friday.
The Germany international scored 17 goals in 33 appearances last season and has been tracked by Bayern Munich throughout the summer.
Newcastle, however, moved ahead of the Bundesliga champions with an offer worth £65m plus £5m in add-ons, eclipsing the £63m fee the club paid for Alexander Isak three years ago.
Woltemade’s arrival ends a summer-long search for a replacement for Callum Wilson, who left for West Ham earlier in the window. Eddie Howe’s side had bids rejected for Wolves’ Jorgen Strand Larsen and Brentford’s Yoane Wissa, while other targets, including Benjamin Sesko and Hugo Ekitike, joined rival clubs.
For Newcastle, Woltemade offers a blend of physical presence and technical quality. Standing at 6-foot-6, he has been compared by Stuttgart fans to a “Two metre Messi-Musiala,” able to drop deep, link play and create as well as finish chances.
Howe is understood to be especially keen on his versatility across the front line.
With Anthony Elanga, Malick Thiaw, Jacob Ramsey, and Aaron Ramsdale also added this summer, Newcastle’s squad depth has been strengthened, although there still remains the huge question mark of Isak’s immediate future.