Newcastle United Poised to Break Club Record with Nick Woltemade Acquisition from Stuttgart

€90 million total

Nick Woltemade is on the verge of joining Newcastle United from VfB Stuttgart, as confirmed by Transfermarkt in light of an initial report by the Daily Mail. The Premier League club has successfully negotiated terms to acquire the German national forward. This agreement was reached while club officials were in Monaco for the UEFA club competitions draw. Newcastle is set to pay a club record fee of €85 million plus €5 million in easily achievable add-ons, surpassing the previous record of €35 million that Stuttgart obtained from Bayern Munich for Benjamin Pavard in 2019. Woltemade is expected to travel to England soon to finalize his medical examination and has already bid farewell to his teammates. Stuttgart has acknowledged ongoing talks with a “European club” on their official page, indicating that a decision is anticipated by Friday.

The 23-year-old striker has been in the spotlight all summer, especially as Bayern Munich made multiple attempts to secure his signature. The Bundesliga champions offered €60 million, including bonuses, but that was insufficient for Stuttgart’s leadership, who chose to end negotiations with Bayern before the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup. Stuttgart has always valued Woltemade higher than the €75 million that Bayern paid for Luis Díaz. “All parties have been informed,” stated Stuttgart’s sports director, Fabian Wolgemuth, to the media after the German Supercup. “There will be no transfer to Bayern Munich this summer.”

Stuttgart has consistently maintained a firm stance regarding the player’s valuation. They compared Woltemade’s situation to that of Eintracht Frankfurt, who received €95 million for striker Hugo Ekitiké from Liverpool. Ekitiké was also linked with Newcastle United but ultimately chose Liverpool. Insider sources have indicated that Woltemade’s performance metrics are very similar to Ekitiké’s, which influenced Stuttgart’s judgment. Therefore, Bayern’s offers fell short of what Stuttgart was willing to accept.

Desperate for a Replacement for Alexander Isak – Newcastle’s Motivation to Sign Woltemade

Newcastle is keen to meet Stuttgart’s price tag, particularly as they face a pressing dilemma. The Magpies have already failed to secure Ekitiké and Benjamin Sesko this summer and are at risk of losing their star striker, Alexander Isak. The 25-year-old Swedish forward has expressed a desire to leave and join Liverpool, who have reportedly made an offer around €130 million for him. For now, Liverpool is not expected to make another bid until Newcastle shows a willingness to negotiate. Acquiring Woltemade could enhance Newcastle’s readiness to engage in talks regarding Isak’s potential departure.

This context illustrates why Newcastle is poised to make Woltemade one of the ten most expensive Bundesliga players in history. What type of player is Woltemade? Stuttgart captain Atakan Karazor praised him in an interview with Gegenpressing, highlighting his excellent vision and dribbling skills. Standing over 198 cm (6’5″), Woltemade is physically imposing but excels with the ball at his feet. Besides his primary role as a center-forward, he can also play as a no. 10 or on the wing. Highly adept in one-on-one situations and tight spaces, he possesses a powerful shot. Over the summer, he has worked on enhancing his physical presence, enabling him to act as a target man. However, his biggest challenge remains his relative inexperience at the highest level. Nevertheless, this is reminiscent of Isak’s journey before he became a world-class forward under Howe at Newcastle.