REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
Big things were expected of Nick Woltemade when he made the £69m move to Newcastle United in the summer of 2025.
The German forward had a good start to life in England as he scored seven goals in his opening 13 matches for the club.
However, he could not build on his good start and the struggles soon set in. He hit the back of the net just four more times over the rest of the campaign.
Eddie Howe was replaced by Matthias Jaissle this summer and the German made his compatriot available for transfer. Newcastle signed Matias Fernandez-Pardo for £51m on deadline day and Woltemade was shipped out on loan to Juventus.
Italian Media Cast Nick Woltemade Verdict
REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo
Woltemade made his Juventus debut against AC Milan on September 9, coming off the bench to play the final 14 minutes in his side's 1-1 draw.
He was named on the bench once again for Juventus' clash against Sassuolo on Sunday. He entered the fray in the 60th minute as Sassuolo won a bonkers match 3-2.
SofaScore gave Woltemade a rating of 6.2/10 for his performance against Sassuolo. He had two shots on goal, neither of which hit the target. One of those went down as a big chance missed.
He completed six of his seven passes, was unsuccessful in his only aerial duel and lost the ball three times.
The Italian media have had a lot to say about the German after his performance. Gazzetta dello Sport said that the 24-year-old 'lacks sharpness and gets everything wrong', while they also criticised him for a couple of poor decisions. They also stated that he 'works hard to create play but largely fails to do so'.
They continued: "He has clearly struggled to integrate into the team's dynamics and tried to make do as best he could. However, he appeared to lack sharpness in several key moments, especially in a match where every action could have been decisive."
Tuttosport gave Woltemade a rating of 5/10, saying that he “Adds weight to no goals.” While Corriere dello Sport gave the German a rating of 5.5/10, writing: “The entrance disrupted Sassuolo's defensive plans, but the header error at the end had an unbearable impact on the final verdict.”
Randal Kolo Muani Also Under Fire
REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo
Woltemade isn't the only Juventus striker that is struggling; Randal Kolo Muani has also failed to make a mark since his €50 million move to the club.
The Frenchman has played every minute in Juventus' four matches to begin the campaign, but has not yet managed to find the back of the net. He has now gone 13 matches without a goal, with his last goal coming for Tottenham against Atletico Madrid in March.
Kolo Muani's performance against AC Milan didn't go down well his his own supporters, as Juventus fans inside the Allianz Stadium even booing him during the match.
With Kolo Muani struggling, Woltemade could be given his first Juventus start when the Old Lady open their Europa League campaign against Dutch side NEC Nijmegen on Thursday evening.