Newcastle's Woltemade Dilemma Sparks Call for Osimhen Move
Dietmar Hamann has described Nick Woltemade's dramatic struggles at Newcastle United as 'remarkable' and says the situation has created a 'really tricky' predicament for manager Eddie Howe. The Magpies completed a £69 million move for the Germany international after reluctantly selling Alexander Isak to Liverpool for over £120 million last summer.
A Promising Start Turns Sour
Woltemade arrived at St James' Park with a decent record from Wolfsburg, where he scored 18 goals in 36 games, though some German observers felt Newcastle had overpaid for the striker. The 24-year-old initially seemed to justify the investment with a bright start to his Newcastle career, netting six goals before November and impressing with his all-round play.
However, the towering forward's contributions have plummeted during the winter period, with just one goal in his last 22 appearances across all competitions. An increasingly desperate Howe has even experimented with deploying Woltemade in slightly deeper positions, though Newcastle legend Alan Shearer has dismissed the notion that the German can effectively play in midfield.
Hamann's Analysis of the 'Strange' Situation
'I couldn't believe the developments in the last few weeks and months regarding Nick Woltemade,' Hamann told BoyleSports. 'He had a great start and was adored by the faithful, adored by the fans. It's obviously a very strange situation because if you had told me this after six or eight weeks, where he scored a few goals, I would have said he's going places.'
The former Newcastle, Liverpool, Manchester City and Bayern Munich midfielder added: 'To have the turnaround now in a short space of time is really remarkable. What you hear and what you see probably makes me think that there might be a summer exit, which is obviously not a good situation for the club because they paid an awful lot of money.'
Hamann questioned whether forcing Woltemade to stay would be a good solution and pondered who would now pay significant money for the struggling striker. 'I think it's a really tricky situation for both of them, for both parties, but especially for the club,' he concluded.
Osimhen Touted as the Perfect Replacement
If Newcastle do decide to sell Woltemade after just one season, Hamann believes former Manchester United and Chelsea transfer target Victor Osimhen would be the 'perfect' replacement. The Nigerian striker has scored an impressive 56 goals in 70 games since joining Galatasaray in 2024, having previously helped Napoli win the Serie A title.
'I think Victor Osimhen is one of the top five centre forwards in Europe,' Hamann declared. 'I couldn't believe that he ended up in Turkey. Obviously, Napoli paid an awful lot of money for him, but I'm very surprised that none of the English teams signed him, because they all struggled for centre forwards in the summer.'
The pundit praised Osimhen's impact at Galatasaray and suggested the striker would excel in the Premier League. 'I love watching him and I think, if he were to play in the Premier League, there are teams he would make much better. He's got pace, he's got power, he can finish, a wonderful player. If Newcastle do sell Nick Woltemade, he could be the perfect fit.'
The situation presents Newcastle with a significant dilemma as they weigh whether to persist with their expensive signing or cut their losses and pursue a proven goalscorer like Osimhen to bolster their attacking options for next season.
