Nick Woltemade is facing a challenging start to his Juventus career, with Italian media criticising the striker just two months after his move to Serie A. The £69million forward missed a close-range chance in Germany's UEFA Nations League match against Serbia, and despite the 2-0 win, La Gazzetta dello Sport were quick to target the 6ft 6in centre-forward.
Loan move from Newcastle
Woltemade did not want to leave Newcastle in August but was told that head coach Matthias Jaissle had accepted a loan bid from Juventus. While he could have stayed to fight for his place, the decision was made that leaving for regular game-time was the best option.
The German has scored just one goal from the penalty spot in four appearances for Juventus and is yet to fully find his form. Reports in Italy suggested the club were already considering attacking alternatives in January, leaving a question mark over Woltemade's future.
Contract terms revealed
However, Chronicle Live understands there is no get-out clause for Juventus, meaning the striker cannot simply be returned to Newcastle. Juventus are contractually obliged to pay every penny of Woltemade's weekly wage, over £150,000 per week, until June.
While Juventus do not have an obligation to buy Woltemade, something Newcastle remain open to, they are essentially committed to the former Stuttgart man until the end of the 2026/27 season. Woltemade's future at Newcastle looks bleak, with Jaissle's recruitment team assessing a range of strikers ahead of the next two windows.
Interest from other clubs
There was summer interest from Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, while a number of Turkish clubs, including Galatasaray, also monitored Woltemade. The German has played down talk of an early struggle in recent weeks, saying: "I'm in a new country and with a new language. I still have to find an apartment; for now, I'm in a hotel."
"I learn something new every week. I'm still not happy with how I'm playing—I want to continue improving and helping the team. I see Juve as the best opportunity to develop my playmaking and help the team."
Sporting director Ross Wilson has made it clear that without Woltemade's exit on loan, the arrival of Matias Fernandez-Pardo from Lille would not have been possible. He said: "Because we try to link things together, the ultimate deal for Matias Fernandez-Pardo was only possible because we did the Woltemade deal. The ultimate deal. Now, if we didn't do the Woltemade deal, we might have done another deal, but that's what we mean by linking things together."
