Newcastle has made a major move ahead of the international break, signing Nick Woltemade as a clear like-for-like replacement for a disgruntled Alexander Isak. The Magpies agreed to pay £60m up front plus £4m in add-ons to the Stuttgart forward, Sky Sports reported on Thursday. This surpasses Isak’s £63m deal three years ago.
According to the report, Woltemade will undergo a medical on Friday. The 6’6″ forward was working out a deal with Bayern Munich this summer, but nothing came out of it. The 23-year-old, per Sky Sports, impressed Newcastle with his ‘technical ability and creativity’.
“He is an amazing player. He can score goals, but he can also give assists. And he is a perfect player for Stuttgart, the perfect number nine. He plays very unconventionally because he is tall, but he is also technical. Very, very good,” former Brazilian and Stuttgart star Cacau told Sky Sports.
This takes place as the Alexander Isak saga had come to a stalemate. The 25-year-old has declared that he wants out of Newcastle. Liverpool have reportedly offered £110m, but Newcastle is looking for a deal close to £150m.
However, Woltemade’s signing sends a clear message from Newcastle – they have a replacement for Isak. Meanwhile, it was reported that Liverpool is considering a second bid, something lower than the Magpies’ original ask.
Alexander Isak scored 23 Premier League goals last season and helped his club win the League Cup. He is now heading for the international break. He was picked for Sweden’s squad. He will return home for the World Cup qualifiers later in the year.
Sweden manager Jon Dahl Tomasson said the 2026 World Cup, to be played in Mexico, Canada, and the United States, was “important” to Isak.
“The situation he is in is not perfect and he has not trained with his team,” the coach said.
“But he is a player who can be decisive and he wants to be part of our team. The World Cup is important for Alexander Isak,” he added.
(With inputs from AFP)