Transfer bombshell involving Nick Woltemade is approaching! DFB star apparently on the verge of a move - but not to Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund will probably not be Nick Woltemade's new club. Nevertheless, he is on the verge of a surprise move.
Transfer journalist Matteo Moretto reports that the Germany international has agreed a loan move to Juventus until the end of the season. Juventus still need to settle the terms with Newcastle United. Moretto adds that the talks are close to a successful conclusion.
Woltemade only joined the Magpies from VfB Stuttgart last summer for 75 million euros, but after a superb start with four goals in his first five league games, his form dipped. That was also down to then-Newcastle manager Eddie Howe deploying Woltemade in a much deeper role, virtually as a number eight. At least, that was always the point Woltemade made when the media asked him about his goal drought.
"In every game, a goal or an assist is expected of me. But if I am not playing in attack, it is much more difficult for me to get into the dangerous goalscoring areas," Woltemade stressed to stern in June, before also taking aim at his critics in England, who in his view had failed to understand that Howe was by then using him in a different position: "Even so, some pundits still judged me as a striker. Then it was: Why is Nick scoring so few goals? Why isn't he getting more assists? Those were the wrong questions, and I didn't find them entirely fair."
Woltemade loses starting spot at Newcastle United and in the Germany team
The 24-year-old then lost his starting place both at Newcastle and in the Germany team. At the World Cup, he only came on in the round of 32 against Paraguay shortly before extra time began, and Woltemade missed in the penalty shoot-out, just as Kai Havertz had before him and Jonathan Tah after him. Germany suffered another major World Cup debacle and went out.
Afterwards, Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann came in for sharp criticism over his handling of the struggling striker, who was supposed to take such an important penalty without any tournament rhythm whatsoever.
Woltemade, meanwhile, was pushing for a fresh start with the Magpies, not least because Howe stepped down and German coach Matthias Jaissle replaced him. He is even said to have called Woltemade's former mentor Sebastian Hoeneß in Stuttgart to discuss with the VfB coach how Woltemade should best be used so that he can rediscover his old strength.
On the opening matchday of the Premier League, in the 2-2 against Liverpool, Woltemade spent another 90 minutes on the bench. Then, in the 2-0 win over Tottenham last weekend, Woltemade came on around 20 minutes from time and immediately set up Yoane Wissa's goal for 2-0.
Borussia Dortmund miss out on Woltemade and probably Jonathan David as well
Now, though, he apparently wants to leave Newcastle. At Juventus, Woltemade is set to replace Jonathan David, who is moving to Atletico Madrid and who did not consistently produce the goal return during his time with the Old Lady that had previously made him a sought-after player internationally at OSC Lille. According to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Canadian's move to the Rojiblancos is imminent after 154 senior goals in his career.
David will initially join Atletico on loan, with a purchase option worth 25 million euros next summer. Juve themselves only signed David on a free transfer last summer after his contract in Lille had expired.
For Borussia Dortmund, both impending Juve transfers could be bitter setbacks. On Sunday, Bild reported that Woltemade was again featuring in the thinking of the Dortmund hierarchy because of Giannis Konstantelias' serious knee injury. Borussia Dortmund are said to have asked Newcastle weeks ago about Woltemade's availability, but according to Sky they were immediately rebuffed.
David, too, is said to have recently appeared on the radar of Borussia Dortmund's bosses around Lars Ricken and Ole Book. As Sky Italia reports, the Black and Yellows made an enquiry in Turin about the Canadian. But neither attacking player now looks set to move to Dortmund this summer.
Konstantelias replacement: Borussia Dortmund have "several irons in the fire"
Nevertheless, coach Niko Kovac confirmed that Borussia Dortmund are back in the market after the Konstantelias shock and have already identified several candidates. "We have several irons in the fire and now we have to see which one can best be forged," Kovac said at the press conference before Borussia's DFB Cup game on Tuesday evening away to Oberliga side HEBC Hamburg.
Kovac also revealed that Book and Ricken will not travel to the game in Hamburg for that reason: "They will be working hard because there is damn little time. Everything has to fit."
Besides Woltemade and David, Borussia Dortmund have also been linked with other players since Saturday. Ruhr Nachrichten mentioned not only the long-running Jadon Sancho topic, but also Fisnik Asllani (TSG Hoffenheim), Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal) and free agent Reiss Nelson.
