Table of Contents
- Nick Woltemade is close to completing a move to English Premier League side Newcastle United, as per several sources
- Newcastle have reportedly struck a deal worth £69 million with Bundesliga side Stuttgart to sign the 21-year-old
- The Magpies have been busy on the market searching for Isak’s replacement after the Sweden international made it clear that he wants to leave St James’ Park this summer
German striker Nick Woltemade is close to completing a move to English Premier League side Newcastle United, as per several sources.
Woltemade travelled to England on Thursday night ahead of his planned medicals on Friday. Newcastle have reportedly struck a deal worth £69 million with Bundesliga side Stuttgart to sign the 21-year-old, according to Sky Sports. This would make Woltemade the most expensive signing by Newcastle, surpassing the £63 million they spent in acquiring Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad.
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The Magpies have been busy on the market searching for Isak’s replacement after the Sweden international made it clear that he wants to leave St James’ Park this summer. The club went for Hugo Ekitike, Benjamin Sesko and Joao Pedro earlier in the summer but all three players preferred a move elsewhere. Ekitike ended up at Liverpool and Sesko signed with Manchester United while Pedro joined Chelsea, with whom he has already won a major title – the FIFA Club World Cup.
Newcastle have also missed out on Wolves forward Jorgen Strand Larsen and Brentford’s Yoane Wissa, with the two clubs rejecting the Magpies initial bids.
Alexander Isak told Newcastle that he wants to leave this summer. Photo/ Sky Sports.
With no quality player available in the market for Newcastle to sign, manager Eddie Howe recently said that he is willing to welcome back Alexander Isak in his squad in a bid to try and make the forward stay. Meanwhile, Isak has insisted on a move away from the club with his desired destination being defending Premier League champions Liverpool.
The Magpies rejected a bid worth £110m plus add-ons from Liverpool for Isak earlier in the summer. The Swede has been training alone since expressing his desire to leave Newcastle this summer and has not been included in any of Newcastle’s matchday squads this season. He is adamant that he’ll not feature for his current club again until he is sold to Liverpool.
After facing obstacles in the transfer market competing with the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool for players, Newcastle decided to do things differently this time. The club’s backroom staff have been working tirelessly in the background trying to bring in a replacement for Isak without catching the attention of the top teams.
Both the Magpies and Stuttgart initially kept Nick Woltemade transfer under wraps until the deal had advanced to the final stages. The football world only got to know about the transfer last night when it was announced by transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano that Woltemade was on his way to Newcastle to complete a transfer to the Magpies.
Who Is Nick Woltemade?
The 21-year-old’s arrival will pave way for the departure of Isak before the transfer window is closed in the coming days. Once he passes his medicals, it will be down to Liverpool to make another offer for Isak.
Nick Woltemade joined Stuttgart from Werder Bremen last summer on a free transfer. Initially, the 6 ft 6 in striker wasn’t a striker at Stuttgart but soon earned his spot in the starting XI and became one of the top strikers in the Bundesliga. He scored 17 goals in 33 games, including in the final of the German Cup which his side went on to win.
Woltemade will do his medicals today ahead of his planned move to Newcastle. Photo/ Goal.com.
Woltemade then caught the attention of top clubs with his performance at the Under-21 Euros tournament last month where he helped Germany reach the final. Despite losing the trophy to England after a 3-2 defeat, the young striker took home the top scorers award after netting six goals.
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Woltemade has been compared to both Lionel Messi and Jamal Musiala due to his style of play. In fact, Stuttgart captain Atakan Karazor referred to him as a “two-metre Messi-Musiala” during an interview back in February.
Newcastle have reportedly been watching Woltemade for some time as they like his creativity and technical ability. He is also the kind of player that Eddie Howe likes to have in his squad.
