There can be little doubt Newcastle United has all but saved its summer in the transfer market. It has been difficult time for the club, with star striker Alexander Isak’s future dominating the news cycle, and a number of its top targets rejecting moves to St James’ Park. With four impressive upgrades to the first team squad, adding depth ahead of the Champions League campaign, things are looking up generally. But now, with the impending club record signing of Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade, the biggest issue is being solved.
After an exhaustive search for a striker, Newcastle struck a deal worth a reported £69m ($93m) this week. It was reminiscent of the deals for Isak and Sandro Tonali, done very quickly with the 23-year-old on a plane to England before many supporters had even heard it was agreed. His medical has been done, announcement will follow swiftly.
If ever there was a story to prove how quickly the mood can change, it is this. Newcastle was facing a very difficult situation not 24 hours ago.
Isak is still refusing to train and play in the hope of forcing through a move to Liverpool, which has increased in probability. Callum Wilson departed at the end of June with no replacement found and Anthony Gordon’s red card in defeat to Liverpool on Monday leaves youngster Will Osula as the only recognized centre forward to face Leeds on Saturday. Woltemade will not be registered in time.
Such a turnaround has finally opened the door for Isak to move, which hadn’t previously been the case. Newcastle never told the player he couldn’t go to Anfield, but wouldn’t sanction a move unless its conditions of sale - a £150m ($203m) valuation and two suitable strikers, one replacing Wilson - were met.
After deals for Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko fell through, replacing Isak looked very difficult, and the ideal situation was an for the Swede to remain at St James’ Park. Talks between the board and player took place on Monday in the hope of finding a way back for him on Tyneside and no positive resolution was found. Attention then turned to Woltemade, who had been watched but wasn’t previously high on the list.
With one striker all but signed, another must arrive. If that happens, the door will open for Isak to go, and at that stage many believe the clubs agreeing a deal won’t be a problem.
Newcastle wants Brentford’s Yoane Wissa to replace Wilson, having moved from a potential deal for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Jorgen Strand Larsen. An offer of £40m ($54m) has been rejected, though talks continue as Brentford searches for a replacement of its own. Just four days until the deadline, things still need to happen.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 15: Alexander Isak of Newcastle United looks on during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Newcastle United FC at Etihad Stadium on February 15, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
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Wilson was always set to leave this summer despite talks over a pay-as-you-play deal, and there are legitimate questions the club needs to answer as to why it has taken so long to act.
Even if the former number 9 hadn’t left the club weeks ago, scoring once in all competitions and playing just 300 minutes made it clear the 33-year-old was no longer of the level required to deputize for Isak. Far too often at the back end of the season, Isak was being overplayed because there was nobody to bring off the bench to offer a genuine threat.
Liam Delap and Joao Pedro were other targets Newcastle wanted to acquire, but both joined Chelsea. It hasn’t been for a want of trying, but for the second summer transfer window in a row, the club is in the last stretch still in need of crucial reinforcements. It was in defence and out wide then, both positions being strengthened since, but replacing Wilson was always going to be critical with such expectation and opportunity ahead this season.
What will Nick Woltemade bring to Newcastle United?
In terms of replacing Isak, Woltemade ticks a lot of the boxes. Perhaps the entire notion of life after the Swede has been viewed incorrectly all along. Finding a player on his level, particularly in terms of goalscoring, is almost impossible.
There very few strikers in the world who can replicate his numbers, and nobody within Newcastle’s price range. Finding players of a similar level to Isak when he moved from Real Sociedad - raw with extremely high potential - is sensible. Ekitike and Sesko were in that bracket, and Woltemade looks to be too.
He scored 17 goals in all competitions for Stuttgart last season and six in five for Germany at the under-21 European Championships this summer. But it his similarity to Isak in build up play that could prove most crucial.
Despite being 6 ft 6, his strength is with the ball at his feet, dropping into deeper areas and linking play with team-mates. Like Isak, he operates well in space, and with Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga stretching opposition defences out wide, he will thrive in Eddie Howe’s system.
While his goals record is modest at the highest level, sitting in the 79th percentile for non-penalty goals across Europe’s top five leagues, he ranks in the 95th percentile for expected assists, 96th for shot creating actions, 99th for touches, and 95th for successful take-ons (stats via fbref.com). What has made Isak so important for Newcastle is his movement in the final third, aiding the origin of attacks. Woltemade is ideal to fill that void.
Newcastle still needs another striker who can score goals at a high level in order to end the summer stronger than it started it. But Nick Woltemade’s arrival is the first domino to fall that could bring an end to the most intense saga of the window.