Nikolas Woltemade, the towering 23 year old German striker has caught eyes with his finesse and raw technical ability over the last year, and after his dreams of becoming the next heir to the throne for Bayern Munich look over following a long transfer saga, Premier League teams have been seen knocking, but one team, particularly in Tyneside look like the best option for the big German, and Newcastle may be ready to swoop and grab the striker they so desperately want.
Losing out to Liverpool in the race for Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike isn't exactly what they would have wanted this summer, and with only a handful of solid striker options now available for Eddie Howe, Woltemade sticks out among a weak group of number nines across Europe. Names like Dominic Calvert-Lewin have been rumoured to be Alexander Isak’s cover for their upcoming season, but with Champions League football ahead of them once again, they should be aiming higher when it comes to adding talent this summer.
With Alexander Isak being the concrete number one for Newcastle this season, and has already proved he is one of the best and most sought after strikers in the world, this summer hasn't been as comfortable as Newcastle fans may have liked, with one too many teams sniffing around the Swedish phenom, and an exit out of Tyneside becoming too close for comfort. Nevertheless, as Isak is set to stay up north, a backup is needed in the absence of Callum Wilson, and Wolfsburg’s Woltemade makes complete sense.
After being snubbed by Bayern Munich in the last few weeks, a number of European teams have pondered the Woltemade situation, but Newcastle should really get their noses in. The versatile, raw, and extremely gifted striker still has lots more to prove at his young age, and with creativity and physical presence on the pitch,. Could compliment Isak well, and could be a striker partnership to fear. For a player his size, he isn't clunky, and is smooth and composed on the ball, and is a dominant aerial threat given his size, but is also capable of a lot of tricky things others his size simply can't do. And, what helps is his ability to slot into the number 10, and although he would fill the role as Isak’s eventual successor, he is versatile enough to slot in behind, and could be a mechanical weapon for Newcastle next year.
Scoring 12 goals in 28 games last season, continued development with his scoring, and use of his physicality may make him into a solid target man, and even a deep lying forward who holds the ball up rather than being a slick goal scorer. With a current market value of £30 million, it is certainly a discount from the Ekitike price, and is a solid price Newcastle wouldn't be too worried about. As a player who has time to develop in Europe and in the Premier League, he has everything a striker needs to become world class, and given his natural physical and scoring abilities, his growth may be something that stands out to Newcastle. A £30 million price tag could turn into another great buy for the Magpies, and heading into a busy next season, his development and general play may be enough to put Newcastle in a comfortable place, and may just give them that edge they desperately need to compete in all competitions.
Comments