Newcastle close to £65m deal for Nick Woltemade – could it pave way for Alexander Isak exit? | OneFootball

Nick Woltemade will hold talks with Newcastle on Friday after Stuttgart accepted a club-record offer for the Germany striker.

Newcastle made a £65m bid for the 23-year-old and if he joins them, it could allow Alexander Isak to leave St James’ Park and move to Liverpool.

The Carabao Cup holders turned to Woltemade in their summer-long striker search, having bid for five other centre-forwards, in Hugo Ekitike, Benjamin Sesko, Joao Pedro, Yoane Wissa and Jorgen Strand Larsen.

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Nick Woltemade, centre, could join Newcastle (PA) (PA Wire)

They had two offers for Strand Larsen, of £50m and £55m, rejected by Wolves last week while Stuttgart had rebuffed repeated attempts by Bayern Munich to buy Woltemade earlier in the window.

But Newcastle submitted an offer that would make Woltemade the biggest buy in their history – replacing Isak, who joined for £62m in 2022.

Isak has refused to play for Newcastle this season as he has held out for a move to Liverpool, who saw a £110m bid swiftly turned down at the start of August and the Premier League champions indicated they did not want to up their offer.

Newcastle have been looking for two strikers, with Callum Wilson already leaving this summer, and said in a statement last week that they did not “foresee those conditions being met” to allow Isak to leave.

Newcastle will also be without stand-in striker Anthony Gordon for the next three games after he was sent off in Monday’s defeat to Liverpool, leaving manager Eddie Howe even shorter of forwards.

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Alexander Isak wants to leave Newcastle in this transfer window (Owen Humphreys/PA)

However, Woltemade could join and become their fifth summer signing, after Anthony Elanga, Aaron Ramsdale, Malick Thiaw and Jacob Ramsey.

Stuttgart said in a statement: “Shortly before the close of the summer transfer window, VfB Stuttgart have received an offer from a European club for the immediate transfer of Nick Woltemade.

“The terms of proposal led to the VfB club management releasing Nick Woltemade from training and match duties in order to hold talks with the interested party regarding a potential move. A decision on the matter is expected on Friday.”

Woltemade scored 17 goals for Stuttgart last season in 33 appearances in all competitions, including 12 goals in 28 matches in the Bundesliga, and was then the top scorer in the summer’s European Under-21 Championships.