After being heavily linked with Bayern Munich, as they look to find a long-term successor to Harry Kane in their No.9 berth, Woltemade made his way to Tyneside after being chosen by the Magpies as the man to fill the void created in their attack by Alexander Isak’s departure to Liverpool.
A club-record £65 million ($89m) deal was pushed through late in the summer transfer window, with Woltemade severing ties with Stuttgart. He made an immediate impact on his Newcastle debut, with a match-winning goal being recorded against Wolves.
The 23-year-old frontman is already feeling settled in new surroundings, with familiar faces being drafted in alongside him to help aid that process. Woltemade told BILD: “My friends are here with me, so I get a lot of support. One of them is even moving in with me permanently. We’re very good friends and have always joked that if I ever move abroad, we’ll go there together. Neither of us has a girlfriend, so we’re pretty free in that regard.”
Newcastle have been doing their bit to ensure that Woltemade feels at home, with the Germany international adding on his discussions with Magpies boss Eddie Howe: “He makes me feel good; I have one-on-one conversations with him every day. They’re mostly about topics that have nothing to do with football, like my move or how my family is doing. It’s a great working culture here.”
Woltemade will be hoping to make his Champions League debut for Newcastle when they take in an epic clash with La Liga heavyweights Barcelona – with Lamine Yamal and Co due at St James’ Park on Thursday.
