Newcastle United broke their transfer record to sign Nick Woltemade for £69 million last summer, making him the club’s most expensive signing ever.
It initially looked like money well spent. Woltemade scored on his Premier League debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
He then became only the third player – after Les Ferdinand and Alan Shearer – to score in his first three home games at St James’ Park. Newcastle fans were singing his name, and the fee looked justified.
Then it all went wrong. His last Premier League goal came on December 20, when he scored a brace in a 2-2 draw with Chelsea. Since then, he has gone 13 league games without scoring.
Woltemade is unlikely to return to the Bundesliga
Eddie Howe moved him back into midfield to cover injuries, where Woltemade looked lost and isolated.
He did not feature in either leg of Newcastle’s Champions League tie against Barcelona. From record signing to unused substitute in his side’s biggest game of the season, just under six months apart.
Woltemade was recently linked with Borussia Dortmund as a potential replacement for Serhou Guirassy, but their sporting director has ruled out a transfer.
Woltemade is contracted at Newcastle until 2031, and the club will not sell at a loss. There is no quick escape route back to the Bundesliga.
He is set to stay, and that means the next seven games are a reckoning. The Bundesliga is not coming to rescue him this summer.
Newcastle will not take a loss on their record signing after one difficult half-season. The only way out is through goals, starting now.
