Newcastle broke their transfer record last summer to sign Nick Woltemade for £69 million, making him the club’s most expensive signing ever.
For a few months, it looked like money well spent. Woltemade scored on his Premier League debut against Wolves, then became only the third player -after Les Ferdinand and Alan Shearer – to net in his first three home games at St James’ Park. Newcastle fans were singing his name; the fee looked justified.
Then it all went wrong. His last Premier League goal came on December 20, when he scored a brace in a 2-2 draw with Chelsea. Since then, he has gone 13 league games without finding the net.
Woltemade is contracted at Newcastle until 2031, and the club will not sell at a loss. There is no quick escape route back to the Bundesliga. He is set to stay, and that means the next seven games are a reckoning.
The Bundesliga is not coming to rescue him this summer. Newcastle will not take a loss on their record signing after one difficult half-season. The only way out is through—and that means goals, starting now.