Woltemade: 'Those who criticize me haven't watched Newcastle play'

Forward Nick Woltemade has spoken out to counter the severe criticism aimed at him, following his branding as "the worst contract in Premier League history."

Nick Woltemade joined Newcastle from Stuttgart last summer for a record fee of £69 million, as a replacement for Alexander Isak. He had a promising start by scoring in his debut match and quickly reached 7 goals in the Premier League.

However, Woltemade's performance declined noticeably from December. Since then, he has not scored in the Premier League and only added one goal in the FA Cup in 2026. For a forward, these statistics are clearly disappointing.

Nevertheless, the cause is not entirely the player's fault. Manager Eddie Howe had to move Woltemade down to play as a left-sided midfielder in a 4-3-3 formation after Bruno Guimaraes suffered an injury. This resulted in the striker role being reassigned to Anthony Gordon, while Woltemade had to operate far from the opponent's goal.

The positional change caused difficulties for the 23-year-old player and made him a focal point of criticism. Even talkSPORT host Adrian Durham shocked by declaring Woltemade "the worst signing in Premier League history." Former stars like Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney also made less positive comments.

Facing the wave of criticism, Woltemade did not remain silent. In an interview with German media after the national team training camp, he directly responded:"Those who criticize me have never watched Newcastle play."

"People often associate me with scoring goals, but you cannot compare a striker with a player operating 50-70 meters from the opponent's goal. Currently, I am a completely different version compared to the start of the season. Now, I should be evaluated based on how I compete for possession or create space.".

Woltemade has become a hot topic of debate in England. Many believe Newcastle made a mistake by spending £70 million on a player without a clear position in the lineup.

However, not everyone agrees with this view. Many opinions from Newcastle's fan community have strongly rebutted. They argue that Woltemade is not even the worst signing for Newcastle this season. Evidence shows the German player has scored 10 goals total, provided 4 assists, and displayed impressive technical moments.

Not only at club level, Woltemade's story is also mentioned at the national team. Germany's head coach Julian Nagelsmann defended his player, emphasizing that Newcastle is using him in the wrong position.

Woltemade's story reflects a larger issue at Newcastle: how to maximize the use of an expensive signing who hasn't found the right position.

With proven talent and versatility in play, Woltemade is clearly not a "disaster" as the criticism suggests. But to prove his true value, he needs to be placed correctly – something both manager Eddie Howe and the player himself are still searching for.