Newcastle United are reportedly weighing up another sale of club-record signing Nick Woltemade.
According to a scathing analysis in the British daily The Telegraph, the Magpies’ campaign has been undermined by underperforming forwards, and the German striker—currently on the fringes of Eddie Howe’s first-team plans—is singled out. The piece, headlined “Newcastle’s season ruined by weak strikers”, stops short of calling for Woltemade to be sold this summer but makes a persuasive case for his exit. According to the Telegraph, the Magpies must admit the error of paying €75 million for the forward from VfB Stuttgart and move swiftly to correct it.
The newspaper itemises Woltemade’s alleged weaknesses: the German international is deemed too slow, not a natural finisher, poor in controlling the ball, ineffectual from distance and inconsistent in the air.
The piece has sparked controversy because its author, Luke Edwards, is seen as a confidant of Newcastle manager Eddie Howe. Once the article appeared, Woltemade removed any mention of his club from his Instagram bio.
Eddie Howe on Nick Woltemade: "He has a very special talent."
Despite significant investment last summer, the Magpies are having a disappointing season, currently sitting in 14th place in the Premier League. Woltemade himself started strongly, scoring goals in both the league and the Champions League. In recent weeks, however, he has struggled—partly because Howe is no longer deploying him as a striker but instead in midfield, a position that feels unfamiliar to the German.
In Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Arsenal, he once again entered as a substitute. Nevertheless, Howe was quick to defend his approach, telling reporters, “His creativity is his strength; he has a very special talent in that regard. If he plays like he did today, he’ll get much more playing time and opportunities to impress.”
Nick Woltemade's statistics for the 2025–26 season:
| Games: | 51 |
| Minutes played: | 3,042 minutes played. |
| Goals: | 11 |
| Assists: | 5 |