Newcastle United have no intention of selling Nick Woltemade cheaply this summer, and he has no interest in a move.
That’s according to journalist Christian Falk, via FCB Inside. The BILD journalist has been speaking about the Newcastle striker on his ‘Bayern Insider’ podcast.
FCB Inside explain that reports are linking Woltemade with a return to Germany this summer thanks to a report from England.
That report in mid-February claimed that Newcastle were prepared to let Woltemade leave after just one season. The website then followed that up by claiming the Magpies would sell for €35-40m.
€70m current value
That is a far cry from the €75m they paid for the 24-year-old last summer, and the issue quickly drew attention in Germany, where Bayern’s level of interest became a talking point.
The German giants were determined to sign Woltemade last summer but ultimately lost out because Newcastle were willing to spend such a large sum on him. Woltemade, though, remains a player on their radar.
However, Falk wants to pour cold water on the latest reports. According to his information, Newcastle have no intention of selling.
“Newcastle does not want to put the player up for sale at the moment,” he said.
He also reported that Woltemade is determined to establish himself at Newcastle. He wants to earn a starting place at the World Cup between now at the end of the season.
A transfer is a possibility in future, but that’s more of a long-term aim. He’d be open to Bayern, as he was last year, but a transfer is not on the cards any time soon.
“The next step would then be a move to a Premier League club that plays a bit higher in the table – or perhaps a return to the Bundesliga at some point,” he added.
Newcastle exit claim is odd
Even on the face of it the claim Newcastle will sell cheaply seems ridiculous. Aside from the fact they would lose around €30m on the striker, that sale figure makes little sense.
Transfermarkt even have the striker valued at €70m still. And that’s after a disappointing couple of months.
Even considering a sale seems odd anyway given Woltemade has 10 goals and four assists in 42 games this season.
While he has managed only one goal in his last 19 games, Newcastle’s own struggles have contributed to that return. Indeed, it still seems Eddie Howe is unsure how to use the summer signing effectively.
There’s far more chance the focus is on solving that than selling him off cheaply to Bayern’s benefit.
