Newcastle willing to sell £69m record signing Nick Woltemade after just one season as Napoli make contact

According to talkSPORT, Newcastle United are actively seeking to offload Woltemade before the summer transfer window closes, as the forward's underwhelming tenure in the North East appears to be reaching a premature end.

The Magpies invested a club-record £69m to secure his services from Stuttgart last summer, but the 24-year-old has failed to justify that significant price tag during his debut campaign in English football. Despite arriving with high expectations, the German striker managed only eight Premier League goals last season, leading to growing frustration among the St James' Park faithful.

The situation reached a head following the club's recent Carabao Cup fixture, where Woltemade failed to impress despite being handed a rare start. Although Newcastle secured a 3-2 victory over West Bromwich Albion, the striker's performance was widely panned.

With the Magpies signaling their willingness to sell, several clubs in Serie A have reportedly registered their interest in the towering forward. Napoli are understood to be the primary suitors, having already made formal contact with Newcastle to discuss the player's availability. The Italian giants are in the market for attacking reinforcements following the departure of Romelu Lukaku to Fenerbahce.

Napoli are not the only Italian side keeping tabs on the situation. Cesc Fabregas’ Como, who are preparing for a historic Champions League campaign, have also been tipped as a potential destination for the German.

European football expert Andy Brassell suggested the newly-promoted side could offer the player a lifeline, stating: "If we're looking for a value loan of a player who could still become elite level. I think that's an interesting one for Como to look at if they could make something work."

The appointment of Matthias Jaissle as Newcastle manager was initially seen as a potential turning point for Woltemade, given their shared nationality. However, the new boss appears to have different ideas for his attacking line-up.

Woltemade was an unused substitute during the 2-2 opening weekend draw against Liverpool, with Jaissle preferring the likes of Yoane Wissa and William Osula in his forward positions. The tactical shift under the new manager, which emphasises intense pressing and high-speed transitions, does not seem to suit Woltemade’s more technical and combinative style of play.

Despite reports that Jaissle had privately backed the striker and even consulted with former coaches to find his best position, the on-field evidence suggests otherwise.

If Woltemade does depart in the coming days, his Newcastle career will be remembered as a costly misfire. In total, he has made 51 appearances for the club across all competitions, finding the net 11 times. While he showed glimpses of the talent that made him a star in the Bundesliga, those moments were too few and far between for a player who remains the club's most expensive acquisition.

Supporter sentiment has also turned sharply against him. Following the recent cup match, many fans took to social media to express their desire for a sale, with some even suggesting they would accept a loss just to move him on.

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