Nick Woltemade’s move from Newcastle United to Juventus has been met with excitement in Italy. But the player may have some work to do from a tactical standpoint.
Juve initially were keen on signing Joshua Zirkzee and Sport Witness closely covered their interest in the Dutchman. Soon, it became clear that Luciano Spalletti wanted a box presence and Manchester United’s Zirkzee wasn’t going to fit the setup.
This led to them quickly accelerating a move for the Newcastle United player, who arrived on a dry loan.
Besides, the Magpies were quick to grant an exit on favourable terms. This helped Juve, who moved Jonathan David to Atletico Madrid.
Now, Spalletti has made his views clear about the German.
Woltemade may need to adapt
The Italian spoke to Sky about the transfers made by Juve and even the outgoings.
Spalletti revealed the aim was to sign players that help them play a fast and physical brand of football.
He said – via TuttoSport: “Our directors have been excellent at fitting into the right contexts and adapting to what the market has to offer. We’ve covered our positional needs and brought in several players.”
“Bringing in players accustomed to playing fast-paced, physical football, where thinking time is significantly reduced, will raise the level of our team.”
He moved on to talking about Woltemade’s personality.
“He’s good at holding his own physically, and ever since I met him, he’s been smiling constantly. He’s so happy to be here, and that’s already a big thing.”
From a tactical standpoint though, Spalletti noted the Newcastle United loanee may need to adapt to new demands. There is a chance he could be handed a poacher’s role where he isn’t meant to drop to receive the ball.
“He’s physically strong, so heading and finishing inside the box are skills that, whether he likes it or not, he’ll have to learn by heart, because he loves coming to play football.”
Our take: Player traits will come in handy
So far this season, Spalletti has shown an inclination to use Randal Kolo Muani as the regular striker. This forced Jonathan David to play in the attacking midfield spot against Parma.
Coincidentally, that is a role Woltemade can play very well, as it will bring more out of his strengths on the ball. That may not be the case all the time, especially when Kenan Yildiz returns to play in that role.
That is why the Newcastle United player will have to adapt to more of a target man role. This will help him in the longer run and even help his parent club in the future.
