If there’s anything we can all agree upon when it comes to Nick Woltemade, it’s that he has plenty of technical ability. The questions centre around his suitability for Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United side and style of play.
On the surface, the big German is enjoying a decent season so far: his seven goals and two assists in the league better that of other expensive forwards and established attackers like Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Viktor Gyokeres, and he’s netted in both the Champions League and Carabao Cup as well.
But there’s a sense of doubt about the former Stuttgart striker and whether or not he’s the player we need right now. A common criticism of our style of play is that it’s built around a quick striker with excellent positioning: it was tailor-made for Alexander Isak, less so for Woltemade.
With that in mind, questions have now been asked about the striker’s long-term future at the club, just months on from his £69m move from Germany.
Speaking on his YouTube channel this week, Sky Sports’ Keith Downie has speculated that we could be open to offers for Nick Woltemade if the right bid comes in during the summer transfer window.
With Will Osula looking incredibly likely to exit the club and move to the Bundesliga, as Yoane Wissa yet to reach the same heights he was achieving at Brentford, there is a lot of pressure on Woltemade to deliver every time he’s on the pitch. It’s a huge ask for a player who only arrived from Germany six months ago and is playing outside of a system that suits him.
But Downie hints that if we come close to recouping the £69m that we paid in August for the German international, it may not be the worst idea to take it.
> _“I’m not sure if Nick Woltemade was (good value) at £69 million. He looks a good player. Looks like he’s got real assets._
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> _“Does he have the assets that Newcastle need in the way they play? No. So, I feel, and I’ve said this a couple of times in the channel, that signing was probably a mistake as well._
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> _“Will Nick Woltemade be a Newcastle player next season? I would suggest there’s a question mark over that._
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> _“I think if someone came in and offered the club, you know, close to what they paid for him, I think it’s a chance Woltemade could go in the summer.”_
The issue that we would then face is just who a suitable buyer would be for Woltemade, and the only answer that really makes sense is Bayern Munich. But that would be reliant on Harry Kane departing and Vincent Kompany’s side still maintaining their interest in Woltemade from when he was still playing in that league.
At any other club, the club-record striker who’s our second top scorer in the league should be a lock to start all games when fit and available.
But under Howe, the surprise decision to start Anthony Gordon up top at Liverpool perhaps spoke volumes about Woltemade’s suitability to that lone striker role and Wissa’s lack of match fitness/sharpness.
That’s something Downie does touch upon, stating “Because, you know, I think on Saturday against Liverpool, Anthony Gordon starting through the middle ahead of both Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade told its own story.”
There’s still plenty of football to play this season, and plenty of opportunities for Woltemade to impress up top. But right now it does feel towering attacker is under an intense microscope from both the fans and the media, and we’ll need him to recapture his form from back in the autumn if we want to stand a chance of Champions League football next season.