Newcastle United have secured the signing of Nick Woltemade from Werder Bremen in a deal worth around £70 million, beating Bayern Munich to the German striker. The 22-year-old, who has been described as a 'phenomenon' in Germany, rejected a move to the Bundesliga champions in favour of a switch to St James' Park.
Woltemade, a 6ft 6in forward with an unusually graceful playing style, scored 17 goals last season to help Stuttgart win the DFB-Pokal, their first major trophy in 18 years. He also finished as top scorer at the European Under-21 Championship with six goals, including a hat-trick against Slovenia and a dominant display against France in the semi-finals.
The Germany international made his Bundesliga debut for Werder Bremen in 2020 at the age of 17, becoming the club's youngest ever player in the top flight. However, his development was gradual, and he was described by former Bayern and Chelsea striker Claudio Pizarro as 'quiet and shy' during his early years.
Newcastle's recruitment team worked discreetly to complete the deal, mindful of previous attempts to sign players that were hijacked by other clubs. The move is seen as a calculated gamble, with Woltemade expected to serve as a substitute for star striker Alexander Isak, who is likely to miss the start of the season through injury.
Bayern Munich had been monitoring Woltemade as a potential long-term successor to Harry Kane, but they were unwilling to meet Stuttgart's asking price, which started at €100 million (£86.5 million) before settling around €70 million. Newcastle's willingness to pay the higher fee ultimately convinced the player to move to the Premier League.
