Double Ballon d'Or winner calls out Newcastle's 'idiotic' Nick Woltemade move

Feargal Brennan

Double Ballon d'Or winner calls out Newcastle's 'idiotic' Nick Woltemade move image

Newcastle United's summer was dominated by the Alexander Isak transfer saga as the Sweden international eventually completed a deadline day move to Liverpool.

After weeks of talks, the Magpies secured a £125m deal for the former Real Sociedad striker, as Liverpool broke the Premier League transfer record for the second time in three months.

Part of Newcastle's reluctance to let Isak leave centred on their struggles to source a replacement with a host of targets rejecting a move to St. James' Park.

Despite the setbacks, Eddie Howe completed a double deal for long-term target Yoane Wissa from Brentford and landed a club record £69m agreement for Nick Woltemade.

Wissa's 19 Premier League goals last season caught the eye of UEFA Champions League clubs - as he joined Isak in striking to force an exit - with Woltemade netting 17 goals in all competitions in a solid first season at VfB Stuttgart.

The new No.9 on Tyneside has started positively under Howe with the 6'6 striker already scoring two towering headers at St. James'.

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The Germany international will be vital to Newcastle in the months ahead but his decision to reject Bayern Munch has been criticised in Bavaria.

The Bundesliga champions were in the race to sign the 23-year-old and club legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has slammed Stuttgart's attitude in negotiations.

"When Stuttgart's demands for Woltemade came to light, I told Uli, Herbert Hainer, Jan Dreesen, and Max Eberl: 'Guys, we're reaching a situation I no longer find acceptable'. We wouldn't meet all their demands just to please someone, especially the owners of Stuttgart," as per Diario AS.

"Ultimately, Woltemade went to England for even more money. I can only congratulate Stuttgart for finding an 'idiot' who paid so much, because we certainly wouldn't have done it in Munich."

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Feargal Brennan

Feargal is a content producer for The Sporting News. He has been working with TSN since the start of 2022 after stints with Reach, Amazon UK and Squawka in a nomadic career in the football media pyramid. Always with a keen eye on Arteta's 'Reds' and Kenny's Ireland 'Greens' and a 100% five-a-side penalty record.