Newcastle United’s boss Eddie Howe may be breathing a sigh of relief as new signing Nick Woltemade shows promising signs of filling the void left by Alexander Isak. The Magpies have had a less-than-stellar start to the 2025/26 season, currently sitting in 15th place in the Premier League table.
Their only league victory so far has been a narrow 1-0 win over Wolves, with three draws and two losses domestically marking a disappointing beginning to the campaign. Adding to their woes, an injury to Yoane Wissa before he’s even put on the Newcastle shirt and a 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in their first Champions League match of the season increased frustration. However, there seems to be a silver lining in the form of new striker Woltemade. The young player is already showing promise up front for the Magpies and is receiving support from his team-mates and staff to reach the top level. Here, Express Football delves into some of the latest news from St James’ Park.
Nick Woltemade shining in Newcastle training
Woltemade is undoubtedly under pressure to perform after becoming the most expensive signing in Newcastle’s history. He has already scored twice in the Premier League, against Wolves and Arsenal, and is looking to maintain this scoring streak for the Magpies.
Off the pitch, Woltemade is also making a positive impression. According to reports from The i Paper, Newcastle staff have been impressed with the German’s aerial ability.
One source revealed that coaching staff believe the 23-year-old is “better than we thought he was” in the air, and feels completely at ease spearheading the attack. His upbeat demeanour during training sessions has also caught the eye.
With both of the striker’s goals coming via headers, Newcastle supporters can look forward to his potential from set piece situations. Magpies manager Howe is equally delighted to have Woltemade amongst his ranks, lauding the youngster’s resilience after his switch to Newcastle.
Howe said: “We’re very pleased to have Nick with us. He’s started very strongly in what has been a difficult period for him because he’s been thrust straight into action with no training time of note with us.
“He’s done really well. We’re really pleased to have him with us and the transfer fee is absolutely irrelevant.”
Joelinton strikes back at ‘idiots’ accusations
Whilst Woltemade continues to impress for Newcastle both on and off the field, team-mate Joelinton has defended the star in public. Since the German completed his £69million switch to St James’ Park during the summer, he has faced some criticism.
Most recently, Bayern Munich board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge condemned the Premier League club for splashing such vast sums on the 23-year-old, calling them “idiots.”
Joelinton has responded to these accusations, insisting the squad is fortunate to have him leading the line. Speaking ahead of Newcastle’s encounter with Union SG on Tuesday, the 29-year-old said: “I didn’t see so I don’t know what they said, but everyone has an opinion.
“We are very happy to have Nick here. He is a great player, a great talent. I hope he can continue scoring and do well for us.”
Joelinton understands what it’s like to need time to find his feet in the north east, having endured a difficult spell following his arrival in 2019 under Steve Bruce. During his debut campaign, the Brazilian managed just four goals and four assists across 44 outings – but has flourished tremendously since Eddie Howe’s appointment in 2021.
Joelinton now boasts 31 goals and 21 assists in 227 matches, along with a Carabao Cup winner’s medal to his name. He will be hoping that Woltemade can fill the goalscoring void left by Isak’s absence and make his own impression in the famous black and white stripes.
