by Sam McGuire
This left the Magpies with a fairly free performance from Nick Woltemade.
As the summer transfer window was about to end, Newcastle made their move and signed the giant German for an initial £65 million fee. At the time, the move raised some eyebrows. This was a huge sum for a player with only one good Bundesliga season to his name. And it was no extraordinary campaign either, with the Germany international scoring 12 league goals for VfB Stuttgart during his first season with the club.
The 23-year-old was expected to join Bayern Munich at some point. This, coupled with his questionable goalscoring record, drove clubs away during transfer windows, with many strikers leaving.
However, for Newcastle fans it must feel like deja vu. A few years ago, the club reportedly paid £63 million for Alexander Isak. At the time, he was linked with several clubs, but the fee coupled with his inconsistent scoring record put off clubs such as Arsenal and Liverpool.
The Magpies took a risk and were rewarded for it. The Swede scored 54 Premier League goals in 86 matches before moving to Liverpool for a British record fee.
Newcastle are, once again, being rewarded for showing faith in a raw, young forward who many felt they overpaid for.
As we enter December, Voldemort has five Premier League goals to his name. Only five players have more goals than him – Antoine Semenyo (six), Jean-Philippe-Mateta (seven), Danny Welbeck (seven), Igor Thiago (11) and Erling Haaland (14). Interestingly, none of those five players are new to England’s top ranks. He’s a summer money-maker who appears to be adapting quickly.
The 23-year-old has filled the void left by Isak as the main man in Newcastle’s attack. It’s no coincidence that his change in form coincides with Eddie Howe figuring out how to make his new number 27 more involved.
As detailed in an article last month, a misfiring attack threatens to derail his campaign. The solution proposed at that time; Howe needs to build around a one-time Bayern Munich transfer target.
That’s exactly what has happened in recent weeks. In Newcastle’s win over Manchester City, only Haaland (five) had more shots than Voldemort (four). The Germany international did not score in the game but he assisted Gigi Donnarumma on two occasions. One was a high header which was well caught by the goalkeeper. The second was a curled effort that really put the Italy shot-stopper to work. On the second day, with a little more luck, he finished with two goals.
He also contributed in the 4–1 win against Everton. He kind of played a role in the opener. He was heavily involved in the creation of Anthony Elanga’s effort. It was saved but the Magpies scored from the resulting corner. He added his third with a cool and composed finish, cleverly lobbing Jordan Pickford. It was a finish that inspired confidence. He also had a hand in the fourth goal, as he showed excellent feet to free up space in the box before his effort was blocked on the line.
Manager Howe also named the summer signing in his post-match interview with Sky Sports, saying: “Nick (Voltmade) took his goal well, which was good to get back on the scoresheet, and we could have had more.”
Before the game against City, Voldemort had an average of 1.9 shots per 90 in the league. He has averaged three in each of his last two games and his xG in these games have been 0.61 and 0.59 respectively.
Voltamed is about to get even better. In his post-match interview following the win over the Toffees, he said: “I think I can improve my game but I have scored goals, which is the most important thing for a striker. To get a good experience at a new club, especially in a new league, I’m really happy with that.”
Howe hasn’t reinvented the wheel here, but he has found a way to get his big-money strikers more involved in the final third and we’re already seeing the results.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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