Newcastle have no intention of selling Nick Woltemade this summer despite a challenging debut campaign.
Following his club-record transfer, the 24-year-old struggled initially with the physical demands of English football.
However, after recent tactical adjustments, the Magpies are fully convinced their German forward will thrive in his second season at St James’ Park.
According to Telegraph Sport, Newcastle have decided to keep Woltemade for at least a second season, believing he will become much more effective now that he understands the Premier League’s demands.
Following his club-record £64 million move from Stuttgart last August, the forward struggled for minutes and goals during the winter.
His early exhaustion was partly forced upon him; an injury to Yoane Wissa meant the German had to play every game.
He often looked ill-equipped to cope with the speed and physicality of English football and was sensibly taken out of the side when he appeared burned out, while a brief experiment to turn him into a midfield player ultimately failed.
A tale of two halves
Despite a prolific start to his Newcastle career, where he scored six goals in his first 11 appearances, his chances quickly dried up.
Heading into the final weekend of the season, Woltemade has only managed 13 shots on target in the league.
As a traditional number nine, he lacked the speed and agility to lead the team’s swarm press.
For a big man, he was also surprisingly poor in the air, frequently failing to attack crosses or keep up with his wingers.
Away from home, he became a tactical problem; as he constantly dropped deep to collect the ball, opposing teams easily pushed up and congested the middle of the pitch.
Finding the right tactical fit
However, Eddie Howe and his coaching staff have recently found success by deploying Woltemade in a deeper attacking role.
The emergence of Will Osula, who has effectively replicated the vital job Alexander Isak used to do for the team, has hugely benefited Woltemade.
Operating in pockets of space behind the main striker, he excelled in the recent away draw at Nottingham Forest and the 3-1 victory over West Ham last Sunday.
Scoring his first league goal since December against the Hammers, Woltemade demonstrated his obvious football intelligence, technical ability, and a strong work ethic to win the ball back.
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Standing firm in the market
Heading into the transfer window, the Newcastle hierarchy are aligned with their manager’s view, viewing the attacker as a long-term investment.
Even if Woltemade enjoys a stellar World Cup campaign with Germany this summer and attracts outside interest, the club do not believe any suitors could match the £64m fee they paid.
Furthermore, he remains a highly popular figure in the dressing room and among the supporters.
Having scored 11 goals in 35 starts across all competitions this season, Newcastle are banking on a full pre-season to unlock his true potential and justify their massive financial outlay.
