At a Glance
At a Glance
- Woltemade became Newcastle’s club-record signing
- The German is being used in midfield
- Flick defended the Magpies striker
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has responded to the discourse over Eddie Howe using Newcastle United striker Nick Woltemade as a midfielder. The German arrived at Newcastle United as one of Europe’s most exciting target men.
A dominant centre-forward who led the line throughout his spell at VfB Stuttgart, he was the man tasked with replacing Alexander Isak. But the 24-year-old has struggled since becoming the Magpies’ club-record signing in a £69m deal.
Woltemade has managed 10 goals and four assists in 44 games across competitions. His last goal came against Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth round in mid-February.
Flick’s stance on Woltemade’s positional change
Howe sought to address Woltemade’s issues with adapting to life in the Premier League by giving him a midfield role. This decision came under scrutiny, with many questioning whether it put the striker’s chances of playing for Germany at the World Cup in jeopardy.
Woltemade’s recent midfield role was put to Flick ahead of the two sides’ Champions League encounter tomorrow (March 18th). He responded (via ChronicleLive):
“Eddie Howe knows better than me about his position (centre midfield). Nick is good for the national team. I wish Nick all the best, maybe not for this game, but after this game!”
| Nick Woltemade (Premier League 2025-26) | Statistic |
|---|---|
| Appearances: | 26 |
| Goals: | 7 |
| Assists: | 2 |
| Expected goals (xG): | 6.26 |
| Goals per game: | 0.3 |
| Total shots: | 1.2 |
| Tackles per game: | 0.8 |
| Ground duels won: | 1.9 (39%) |
| Aerial duels won: | 1.3 (40%) |
Woltemade has performed well for Germany at international level and done so as a central striker. He has registered four goals and one assist in eight caps.
The Bremen-born frontman will be eager to make Julian Nagelsmann’s squad for pre-World Cup friendlies. His nation faces Switzerland on March 27th and Ghana on March 30th.
Flick defends Woltemade
Much has been made of Woltemade’s debut season at St James’ Park, especially because Newcastle broke their transfer record to sign him. His unconvincing start has led many, including Alan Shearer, to question the recruitment team.
Flick responded to criticism of the the money paid by the Magpies:
“His price tag is not his fault. He should play with confidence. It is like that.”
The Barca coach’s comments are of interest because there has been a huge debate in Germany over the striker’s transfer fee. He was on Bayern Munich’s radar, but their former chairman, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, branded the Tyneside outfit “idiots” for the money spent.
Woltemade will be eager to return to his number nine role sooner rather than later. But, for now, it seems Howe is favouring him as a dominant prescence in midfield.
