Nick Woltemade ended his Serie A goal drought with a first-half strike for Juventus in their 2-2 draw with Fiorentina, taking his overall tally for the club to four goals in all competitions.
The German striker swept home after his strike partner Kolo Muani's cross, playing as a striker in a 4-4-2 system under Luciano Spalletti in what was seen as an unconvincing draw for the veteran boss.
Performance and Substitution
Spalletti, whose side were trailing 2-1 in the second half, took Woltemade off after 56 minutes to freshen things up, with defender Bremer heading home to earn a draw. Despite the early exit, Woltemade's performance was solid: the £69million striker had 31 touches in that timeframe, had three shots, scored one goal, and won a couple of aerial battles.
Having been left out of the Germany squad by Jurgen Klopp for UEFA Nations League games against Serbia and Holland, the 6ft 6in striker now has a significant two-week pause in action for the first time in 2026. Chronicle Live understands that Woltemade was baffled by his exclusion after shining in the Europa League with three goals and winning Juve's MVP award in October.
Newcastle Contact
Sources close to the player have indicated that Matthias Jaissle has been in constant touch with Woltemade in recent weeks, offering encouragement and reminding him that the door is not closed at Newcastle. Woltemade was loaned out to Juve in the final throes of the transfer window as Newcastle looked to facilitate a £51million move for Matias Fernandez-Pardo, with SCR rules meaning that Woltemade's removal off the wage bill helped balance finances.
Speaking to Kicker in Germany last month, Jaissle said on Woltemade: "We communicated very clearly where he stood within the team at that moment, particularly considering the way we play football with high pressing. At the time, one or two other players were simply a little ahead of him."
"Open discussions are important regardless of whether someone is your compatriot or not. But I rate him very highly, and of course he remains our player because he's only out on loan."
Future Uncertain
It remains to be seen if a return to Newcastle in the summer is possible given the complex exit for Woltemade, just days after he'd asked Jaissle if he could fight for his place before being told he did not fit the system.
