Status: 08.10.2025 1:50 p.m.
Striker Nick Woltemade is in strong form at his new Club Newcastle United. In the German national team, on the other hand, the Bremen native was recently whistled. The data shows that it can also play a central role in the DFB team.
Anyone who starts like this has to give a speech. And that, said Woltemade with a wink, had become a little embarrassed in a day that “couldn’t have walked better”. But after he had dropped his new team in his debut in the Premier League on matchday four against the Wolverhampton Wanderers to win 1-0, he didn’t let him off the hook.
So a speech. But he was “quite tired” and my English was no longer the best, “the 23-year-old admitted. And so he “said the boys how happy I am to be with them”.
Woltemade in the changing pool of feelings
In Newcastle, it seems, you are always with the native of Bremen after the first few weeks at United. There are now three goals in four league games, one in the Champions League since last week. And that by hoe. The fans have been singing him since his first appearance for the “Magpies”, coach Eddie Howe was especially after the striker’s royal class appearance against Union St. Gilloise (4-0), in which he also took out a penalty, full of praise: “He was excellent today.”
In the strong contrast, the events around his latest appearance are on German soil. At the Heavenly 3: 1 success of the DFB team against Northern Ireland At the beginning of September in Cologne, the 23-year-old, who changed from VfB Stuttgart in the northeast of England for up to 90 million euros in summer, was replaced and whistled. And the eternal shipment -conscious Uli Hoeneß announced that Woltemade was “not worth”.
“The physique is the obvious, but the game intelligence is the difference.”
GSN analysis
Beyond the possibly offended ego of the FC Bayern Honorary President Whether the brewed movement to Munich, the question arises: How good is the player who is considered a hope of Newcastle and in the national team?
The experts of the Global Soccer Networks (GSN) see much more than one (central) attacker in Woltemade. For them, the 1.98 meter tall giant is a “hybrid offensive player”, who can act both as a “playing target player or hanging center forward”. A goal scorer, the technology, understanding of space and pressing as well as a role as a ball distributor.
“Rare combination” of goal scorers and game designers
The analysts do not save with praise in the evaluation: Woltemade is “one of the few strikers” who combine these facets. This makes it “so special” and a “very rare combination”.
Because his sheer physique is only “the obvious, but the game intelligence is the difference”. And that could even lead him from an “international class” player, as GSN currently rates, even in the direction of “world class”.
It is clear to the data experts: While many players with their stature “mainly act as a penalty area buyers, Woltemade brings creativity, game overview and offensive intelligence into the attack game”.
The 23-year-old is a “striker with Playmaker components”-similar to Olivier Giroud, Kai Havertz or Thomas Müller. And in this regard, he would have to not shy away from comparisons with Harry Kane in the future.
Dominant in many areas
They are assessments that coincide with the impressions from the first few weeks in England – and with the findings and expectations of his new coach Howe. In particular, he praised the combination game of his new offensive player as “excellent” that it was “an important part of his work”. And even more: Woltemade convinces with running strength and is essential in the pressing of Howes Equipe.
After a few weeks, in the comparison of all Premier League strikers in many relevant statistics – from dealings to dribbling, intensive runs and duels to ball conquests in the opposing third – one of the three front places. He is often one.
Woltemade’s career in the second attempt
It is a debt on the island that is by no means a matter of course. Because behind Woltemade there were quite complicated weeks and months: the defeat in the final of the U21 European Championship against England in June, the burst move to Bayern Munich, the short-term transfer, the recently weak appearances in the jersey of the national team including the hostility.
However, Woltemade’s path has not always been steeply uphill in the past. Although he is only 23 years old, he has overcome resistance several times. At Werder (and nationwide) the Bremer was considered a great talent, but he could not really prevail for a long time. The loan to Elversberg in 2022 to the 3rd division and the change from Weser to VfB Stuttgart in the summer of 2024 proved to be decisive steps in his career.
Völler and Howe believe in further development
Rudi Völler – one of the predecessors Woltemades in both Bremen and the national team – believes in the attacker, but also sees further potential. “There are a few things he can improve. He has to buy in physical and header. He is convinced that these things can be improved through training: “That is precisely why we will still have a lot of fun with him.”
Howe also hows: “He has great potential. But there are certain things that we want to see more of him,” said the 47-year-old, without further detail. The most important thing is that he wants to work and improve. “There is more,” he is convinced.
“What it is measured is how he plays on a team and what he will give the club in the future.”
Newcastles coach Eddie Howe
And it is also clear to the GSN experts: The fact that Newcastle leafed so much money for Woltemade this summer is “a strategic investment in the future”. The Bremen native is not yet as far as Victor Osimhen (now Galatasaray Istanbul), Bryan Mbumo or the ex-Leipzig Benjamin Sesko (both Manchester United), which have been transferred for similarly high millions. At least in comparison with Osimhen and Mbumo, he is far from being in his performance scenar.
One of the next steps would be to screw up its goal quota from ten to twelve towards 18 to 20 goals per season. Woltemade is on the way, the start of the “Magpies”. According to GSN, 50 to 60 million euros would have been appropriate for Woltemade this summer. However, it is about a bigger one, a medium and long-term picture, since Newcastle did not “have not paid for a ‘finished world-class player'”, “but for a player whose development could make the difference in the next few years”.
Woltemade can also become a central player in the DFB team
And this perspective also applies to the DFB team. There the analysts trust him to “become a key figure in the long term, especially when it comes to combining physique and creativity in the storm center”. In the national team like in Newcastle, his special emphasis is that it is “the structure in the possession”, “target player for flanks and first buyers at counterattacks” and also eminently important in pressing and disturbing the opposing game structure.
Nick Woltemade – here against Northern Ireland – is still waiting for his first goal for the A national team.
In addition, he relieves game designers like Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala or Nadiem Amiri because they “can play their creativity in higher zones”. Especially since variants with a second striker – Karim Adeyemi, Jonathan Burkardt or Maximilian Beier, for example – are conceivable for national coach Julian Nagelsmann if you want to “pair” technology and tactics at more speed.
Is the first goal against Luxembourg or Northern Ireland?
How much Nagelsmann relies on him, it was also evident in the fact that, as Woltemade, he, as Woltemade, because of an infection to the DFB before the international match on Friday against Luxembourg (8.45 p.m., live in the first and in Livestream on sportschau.de) had to move, didn’t want to nominate a player.
So maybe it will work against Luxembourg or on Monday against Northern Ireland (8:45 p.m.) with its first goal in the A national team. And if his teammates ask him to spoke, they would not have to be in English either.
