Newcastle United are planning to keep Nick Woltemade beyond the summer, despite a mixed debut campaign and losing Eddie Howe’s confidence during the second half of the season, according to The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards.
“Newcastle United want to keep Nick Woltemade for a second season as they believe he will be more effective now that he understands the demands of English football,” Edwards reported on May 20.
The 24-year-old has endured an inconsistent first year following his club-record move, struggling
for minutes and consistency in the second half of the season after starting strong during his first few weeks in Tyneside.
“At times, he has looked ill-equipped to cope with the speed and physicality of the Premier League,” Edwards wrote. “Staff have been impressed with the Germany international’s work in training and are seeing more evidence he can thrive in a new, deeper role playing behind a main striker”.
Newcastle also appear confident that any potential transfer interest will not materialise into a realistic deal, which might be the main reason to keep the Germany international in tow.
“Newcastle do not believe there are any clubs who would be able to get close to the fee they paid for him in August,” Edwards writes.
In a shocking move, Howe placed Woltemade in the starting XI for the games against Nottingham Forest and West Ham, and in a not-shocking-at-all development, the German forward delivered the goods.
“His performance against West Ham was his best in months,” Edwards noted. “Woltemade is starting to show glimpses of promise which supports Newcastle’s argument that he will be a far better player in his second season at the club than his first.”
With one game to go in the season, Woltemade has scored eight Premier League goals and assisted on three, while also contributing a goal in 10 Champions League appearances earlier this campaign.
