Eddie Howe urges Newcastle United fans not to judge Nick Woltemade purely on goals output
Newcastle United broke their transfer record this weekend by bringing in German international striker Nick Woltemade for £69 million from VfB Stuttgart.
Eddie Howe has been desperate for a striker all summer, but that need became greater when Alexander Isak threw his toys out of the pram and started agitating for a move.
Suddenly, Howe needed two strikers, and one of those had to be of a similar standard, or at least have the potential to be of a similar standard as Alexander Isak.
Nick Woltemade may not be there just yet, and it may take the 23-year-old a bit of time to get up to speed with the pace and physicality of the Premier League.
Eddie Howe believes Nick Woltemade has a lot more to his game than just goals
Speaking to Sky Sports after the bore draw with Leeds United on Saturday evening, Eddie Howe spoke about the qualities Nick Woltemade possesses, but also made a point of saying how his game is about much more than just goals, and he shouldn't be judged purely on goal output.
"He's a really good technician. His size will be a talking point because he's obviously a big presence, but he's not really a target man, although he can head the ball.
"It's his creativity around the box. It's his link play. He dribbles with the ball really well for someone so big and he's got real creativity around the box. He will find passes that not many other players can see.
"He can add a dimension that we currently don't have and it will lift confidence because when you feel you have goalscorers in your team, the general level of your whole squad goes up.
"You've got to have lots of strings to your bow to be successful in England and he has them. I'm really looking forward to seeing him play in our team."
Stuttgart fans nicknamed him Woltemessi
Nicknamed Woltemessi by the Stuttgart fans, Woltemade is excellent with the ball at his feet, and like Isak, he can glide past defenders.
It looks to us like we won't need to adapt the way we play to integrate Woltemade into the side, as he's very similar to Isak with his abilities.
The ceiling is so high for Woltemade. As long as he is given the time to get used to the Premier League and he can keep his confidence up if he doesn't hit the ground running, there's no telling what may come.
