Latest Newcastle United transfer news as Eddie Howe closes in on new striker Nick Woltemade
Newcastle United transfer target Nick Woltemade(Image: Helge Prang – GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
Newcastle United are closing in on Nick Woltemade, the striker signing they have desired all summer long, and time is of the essence to get the deal done.
On Thursday Chronicle Live reported a £60.5m agreement had been reached with Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart for Woltemade’s immediate transfer. The 23-year-old has been linked with Bayern Munich since he won the Under-21 European Championships’ golden boot prize earlier this summer, but now looks destined to land on Tyneside.
As Newcastle also continue talks with Wolves over the signing of Jorgen Strand Larsen, the potential of two strikers arriving before when the transfer window closes – 7pm on Monday, September 1 – means Alexander Isak could get his wish to move to Liverpool.
Because of the Swedish international’s refusal to play whilst he has expressed desire to move on, Eddie Howe has been forced to field teams without a definitive striker so far this season.
Anthony Gordon was a makeshift central option against Aston Villa and Liverpool, but earned a three-game suspension against the latter for a dangerous tackle on Virgil van Dijk.
This only exacerbated the need for an attacking signing, and this has now gained pace before the Magpies’ next Premier League match against Leeds United. This fixture is scheduled for 5:30pm at Elland Road for tomorrow, Saturday, August 30.
And it is a clear answer as to whether Howe will be able to call upon Woltemade for the big clash or not.
The Premier League operate with the rules that during the transfer window, a new signing must be completed and fully registered by 12:00pm on the Friday before the fixture is due to take place.
Therefore Woltemade will be available to make a quick Newcastle debut if they have wrapped up the transfer by midday today, Friday, August 29.
If they have not then Toon fans will be forced to wait patiently until after the September international break. Newcastle’s first match back next month is against Wolves at St. James’ Park.
Woltemade has been called up for the senior German national team during the September break. They have FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Slovakia and Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile the striker has also played three competitive fixtures for Stuttgart already this season, scoring in his latest outing against Braunschweig.
Here at ChronicleLive, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Newcastle United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest NUFC news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Everything is Black and White podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.