Consider Harry Kane rewired as a deep-lying midfielder at Bayern Munich in the coming months. That is what Germany are witnessing with their World Cup No 9, Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade.
On recent evidence, they are not about to be gifted the heir to Toni Kroos, either. The 24-year-old, as Alan Shearer said on Match of the Day, is ‘really, really struggling’. He added that there is definitely a player in there, which is also true.
But to borrow from German motoring, Woltemade is more VW camper than BMW 3 Series. Like the campervan, there is plenty of headroom, aesthetic charm and a romantic allure, but you’re not sure it belongs in the fast lane or is built for the inner-city chaos of the Premier League. He looks like a player better suited to a different road, most likely the Bundesliga.
During Saturday’s 3-2 defeat by Everton, Woltemade started in midfield before being moved into attack. Like Shearer said, he struggled in both positions. There were just 14 touches, none of them in the penalty area, before he was taken off in the 56th minute.
‘There should be concern,’ says journalist Patrick Strasser, who covers the German national team. ‘They will follow this with some fear because there is a danger he won’t get the rhythm and playing time as a No 9, which is where Julian Nagelsmann plans to use him. It is not ideal. It looks like Newcastle don’t trust him in that position.’
There were whispers of Eddie Howe being ready to recalibrate in the days after Woltemade was hooked at half-time during a 3-1 defeat at Manchester City on February 4. The assumption was accommodation at No 10. Not so.
Striker Nick Woltemade has struggled to adapt to playing as a central midfielder for Newcastle
He struggled in midfield and then later in attack during Saturday’s 3-2 home defeat by Everton
Rather, the striker in which Newcastle invested a club-record £69million as replacement for Alexander Isak has been used as a No 8 in the last five matches. Listening to Howe this week – he has been asked a lot about the controversial conversion – that is not going to change any time soon.
The tactical shift, as well as Woltemade’s form and future, has split supporters and observers. Some see his potential, some his limitations, and both sides are debated with an aggravation perhaps missing in Woltemade’s own game. But there are others in Germany who are more relaxed, such as Christian Falk, the head of football at leading tabloid Bild.
‘He is not such a typical striker anyway,’ says Falk. ‘We don’t have one, certainly not like Miroslav Klose, who was always there at the point of the attack. We’re not saying, “Oh God, that’s horrible, they’re destroying our striker in the Premier League!”. It’s not like when Pep Guardiola had the great idea of playing Robert Lewandowski on the left wing.
‘Woltemade has played deeper before, or behind a striker. The most important thing is him getting more minutes and staying in the team. The bigger worry is if he does not play at all.’
Before the injury to Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes earlier this month, Woltemade was out of the team. It led to reports of him being unhappy and seeking a return to Germany.
Daily Mail Sport understands he has not communicated any such feelings to Newcastle and, on the contrary, has shown a willingness to adapt and learn. For now, all sources are aligned on him being a Newcastle player next season. Falk has the same feeling, despite Bayern Munich’s admiration and attempt to sign him in the summer.
‘Bayern always have an eye on his development,’ says Falk, impeccably connected inside Bayern. ‘But there is no contact and no idea of bringing him back this summer. This could be a question for the future, but he would be too expensive at the moment.
‘I have heard that if Woltemade did not feel comfortable or confident with his situation then he could go to the manager or owners of Newcastle and they would react, if he wanted a transfer. But this has not happened, and there has been no contact with any of the top clubs in Germany.’
He was wanted by Bayern Munich last summer who wanted to play him behind Harry Kane
Bayern walked away from a deal to sign Woltemade from Stuttgart when the asking price went north of £50m. By the time Newcastle entered a one-horse race in late August they were desperate, given the proximity to the window’s finishing line. He arrived as a No 9 and scored five from six starts. Interestingly, though, it was never Bayern’s intention to play him as a striker.
‘Bayern’s plan was to use him with Harry Kane,’ says Strasser. ‘It was not to build him as a future No 9 for when Kane leaves. No, they wanted to play him behind Kane.’
It is necessity that means he is Germany’s central striker, but Woltemade has responded with four goals for his country this season. Were the World Cup to start tomorrow, say both Falk and Strasser, he would be in the XI.
So, how does Germany view Woltemade, a player who had one breakthrough season in Germany before his move?
‘We had lots of hype about Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, but Woltemade does not have this,’ says Falk. ‘Everyone is happy that we have him because he is seen as a very humble guy. But he’s not one of the top stars of German football at the moment. We are still waiting for a real striker, but we are glad to have him. The pressure is not really on him.’
At the upcoming World Cup, Woltemade will be deployed as Germany’s first-choice striker
But there is pressure on Howe. Newcastle have lost three on the bounce at St James’ Park for the first time under him. They are 13th in the Premier League and in danger of missing out on any form of European football next season, which is the club’s base expectation.
On Friday, I asked the head coach what he would do with Woltemade given more training time.
‘I still feel there’s a physical adaptation that’s taking place,’ he said. ‘So we would, if we had free training weeks, be really pushing him physically and in the intensity of his actions.
‘The Premier League is the quickest league in the world, by some distance. So everything in your training has to mirror that. I still feel there’s a lot of growth in him that we haven’t been able to unlock.’
Woltemade is not Newcastle’s only problem, but it is one for which there appears no solution right now. Maybe it’s time to park the camper and try to get to work under the bonnet.