Nick Woltemade joined Juventus on a season-long loan last week just 12 months after becoming Newcastle United‘s club-record signing.
Gianluigi Buffon believes Nick Woltemade can become the second coming of Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Juventus.
Newcastle United loaned out the German for the rest of the season on deadline day. Just 12 months earlier, Woltemade arrived on Tyneside for a club-record fee.
Despite a bright start - with four goals in his first five Premier League games - the 24-year-old underwhelmed in his debut campaign. A failed experiment saw Eddie Howe deploy Woltemade as a midfielder from February onwards.
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic comparison
He now gets to rebuild his confidence in a different set of black-and-white stripes. Italian football legend Buffon named Ibrahimovic - who spent two seasons at Juve as a youngster - as a player Woltemade could replicate.
“I’m curious about Woltemade,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “I want to see if his physicality, his 198 centimeters combined with excellent technique, will be as dominant as I expect.
“An impact like Ibrahimovic’s Juventus version? I’d say so. Woltemade could be an added value in the Italian league in recent years.”
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‘I’m happy’ - Nick Woltemade
Speaking to Juve’s website, Woltemade - set to make his debut against AC Milan tonight - opened up about his “pride” at signing for a European heavyweight. He also believes his Premier League experience can help him in Serie A.
“Of course, I'm really really happy to be here,” Woltemade said. “It's a big club. I'm excited for this new adventure, (to live in) another new country and play at the biggest club in Italy. I’m proud of myself, my family, my agency and all the guys at Juventus who made it happen.
“Last year, I changed to England. I can take a lot with me like physical-wise and also smartness in the game. I'm really happy to be in Italy to play in another top league at a really big club. This is a really nice point for me - I'm just to start.”