Newcastle United’s efforts to reshape their attacking options could lead to a significant departure before Tuesday’s transfer deadline, with Nick Woltemade’s future increasingly tied to the club’s pursuit of another forward.
The situation has advanced considerably, with The Guardian reporting on Monday that Woltemade is close to joining Juventus on loan. Newcastle are negotiating a deal that would include a loan fee of approximately £5 million (€5.8 million).
Juventus Leading the Race
According to The Guardian, “Nick Woltemade is close to a loan move from Newcastle to Juventus, a year after arriving at Newcastle in a club record £69m deal from Stuttgart.”
Juventus is one of several clubs to have inquired about the 24-year-old’s availability. Borussia Dortmund remains interested after BILD reported that Woltemade had emerged as a potential late solution following the ACL injury suffered by Giannis Konstantelias.
However, The Guardian indicates that Juventus has moved beyond simply making an inquiry and is nearing an agreement to land the Germany international. “Newcastle are in negotiations with the Turin club regarding a move involving a loan fee of about £5m,” the report stated.
Newcastle's Attacking Pursuit
Any agreement, however, remains dependent on Newcastle completing an attacking signing first. Lille’s Matias Fernandez-Pardo remains Matthias Jaissle’s leading target, and the Magpies seemed close to landing the winger. That said, The Guardian reported that negotiations have progressed slowly, and Stuttgart’s Bilal El Khannouss is “not far behind” on Newcastle’s list, in case talks with Lille don’t progress quickly.
Woltemade's Difficult Debut Campaign
Woltemade joined Newcastle from Stuttgart for a club-record £69 million (€80 million) only last summer but scored only 11 times across 51 appearances during a difficult debut campaign in Tyneside.
A loan would allow Newcastle to avoid suffering a significant permanent loss on its record signing while giving Woltemade an opportunity to rebuild his value elsewhere and get regular playing time before returning to Tyneside next summer.
Would a £5 million loan to Juventus be the right solution for Woltemade, or should Newcastle keep him for the whole season? Let us know in the comments below.
