Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has blamed Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe’s style of play for Nick Woltemade’s struggles at the club.
The German forward joined the Magpies last summer in a deal worth up to £69 million from Stuttgart, but his performances has dipped despite early promise.
Woltemade started brightly at the club, scoring four goals in his first five Premier League appearances, but is without a goal in the league in 2026, casting doubts over his long-term future at the club.
Despite his struggles, the 24-year-old was invited by Nagelsmann for Germany’s friendly matches this month against Switzerland and Ghana.
“He’s a perfectly pleasant individual with a great sense of humor,” Nagelsmann stated.
“He possesses great character, he’s always in a good a mood during our calm conversations, but he hasn’t had an easy time with Newcastle. When it comes to his problems at Newcastle, I think you have to take the whole situation into consideration.
“They don’t have a striker that always plays. Eddie Howe is constantly rotating his strikers. I would be more concerned if Newcastle had three strikers that always played.
“In my opinion, he’s been playing deep very often and if he’s defending as deep as a six, there’s fewer opportunities for him to score”, the Germany boss continued.
Woltemade has often been deployed deeper in recent outings for the club, while he was left on the bench in their 7-2 midweek thrashing at Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League.
The striker has been tipped to leave the club at the end of the season with a return to Germany on the cards, given his frustration at his lack of goals.
“It’s unlikely for him to score as he’s not a classic counterattacking forward. He’s not a 36 km/hr speedster and he’s 80 meters away from goal”, Nagelsmann added.
“If I were a British journalist, I wouldn’t be expecting a 20-goal-season for him.
“I can promise you that, with us, he won’t be 80 meters away from goal. It’s too far away. He’ll be 30 meters away from goal with us, where he can be dangerous”, he concluded.
Meanwhile, Woltemade will hope to end his drought in the Premier League when Newcastle United face Sunderland on Sunday.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
