Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has admitted Nick Woltemade's situation at Newcastle United 'bothers' him and says the striker is being played too deep in midfield at the club
Germany's head coach Julian Nagelsmann addressed a press conference in Frankfurt on Thursday
Julian Nagelsmann spoke in detail about Nick Woltemade's recent struggles(Image: Hannes P. Albert / AFP via Getty Images)
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Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann has hinted that Eddie Howe is failing to get the best out of Nick Woltemade because he's playing him in the wrong position.
Nagelsmann handed Woltemade a call-up, alongside Newcastle team-mate Malick Thiaw, to his Germany squad ahead of fixtures against Switzerland and Ghana later this month, despite the 24-year-old's disappointing recent displays on Tyneside. Woltemade has managed just one goal in 2026 and has been displaced from the central striker position by winger Anthony Gordon in recent weeks.
Newcastle's £69million club-record signing was left on the bench for both legs of Newcastle's Champions League exit to Barcelona, and it remains unclear whether he will force his way back into the starting line-up for Sunday's Tyne-Wear derby against bitter rivals Sunderland. Despite this, Nagelsmann appears largely unfazed by Woltemade being rotated out of the Newcastle starting XI, reports Chronicle Live.
"In a calmer setting, he's a really pleasant guy with a good sense of humour, a great character in my opinion, always in a good mood, always radiating positivity in conversations," Nagelsmann said of Woltemade during a press conference on Thursday.
"He's undoubtedly had a tough time in Newcastle, no doubt, but that's normal. I also tried to explain his role. I think what I said was interpreted too negatively. He's done well for us, but in a role that no one would have thought of six months ago, or even six months before the World Cup qualifiers, because so many other players were injured.
"He can start, but he can also play a good role as a substitute because he has an unorthodox style of play with his size and technique, and I think, looking at his recent record with us, he has very fond memories of the national team and is extremely excited about it. I think it will help him too.
"And when assessing the whole situation at Newcastle, I think you simply have to look at the overall picture. Yes, he's not currently a striker in their squad. Gordon, who basically scores everything, has a lot of goals, but he still sat out the last two big games.
Nick Woltemade of Germany celebrates scoring against Luxembourg
Nick Woltemade has been called up for Germany
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"He's not a striker who consistently plays and takes his place, but rather, Eddie Howe has obviously decided, without me knowing any more details, to simply swap his strikers, and that's his right, he should do what he wants and what he thinks is right. It's not my concern at all.
"I'm just trying to evaluate the player within the overall context, and if there were three strikers who always played, I'd be significantly more worried than I am about Newcastle's current setup, where the forwards are constantly being rotated."
However, he does express reservations about Newcastle's recent deployment of him as a midfielder, arguing you will never extract the best from Woltemade, who has netted 10 goals for the Magpies this season, '80 metres from goal'. "Lately, and this is just my opinion, judging him on his own, he's often played very deep, and when he's defending as a double pivot, it's quite a long way for Nick to cover," Nagelsmann added.
Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe has played Nick Woltemade in midfield recently(Image: Getty Images)
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"If he wants to get towards goal, it's very unlikely he'll score, because he's not a classic counter-attacking striker who can sprint at 36 km/h to outrun the opponent. And then, when he's 80 metres from goal, I don't think, as a British journalist, you can expect him to score 20 goals, because the distance is simply too great.
"Yes, it always depends a bit on the overall situation. What I can promise is that he's rarely 80 metres away from the goal for us. If we have a game where we're 80 metres away from the goal, he won't play. I try to get him closer to 30 metres from the goal, and then he's dangerous and does a lot of things well.
"I think very highly of him as a person. He's not someone who overthinks things. Nevertheless, the situation bothers me, of course."
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