Scout: Woltemade Doesn’t Fit the Profile of a Newcastle Number 9

Former Newcastle United scout Paul Montgomery has stated that Nick Woltemade is not the ideal fit for the team’s customary number nine role.

Woltemade joined Newcastle from Stuttgart in the summer for a record fee of £69 million. He was brought in as a replacement for Alexander Isak after scoring 17 goals for Stuttgart last season and earning the Golden Boot at the U-21 European Championship this summer.

This season, Woltemade has managed only seven goals in the Premier League and has struggled after a promising start at St James’ Park. He hasn’t scored in his last seven league matches, with his last goals being a brace against Chelsea on December 20th.

Montgomery, who first observed Woltemade when he played for the Germany U-19 team, believes the 23-year-old is more suited to a deeper position. He raised doubts about whether Woltemade or fellow signing Yoane Wissa can serve as Newcastle’s main scoring threat.

“In my mind, he’s never been a number nine,” Montgomery shared with BBC Sport. “I remember seeing him as a young player for the Germany under-19s, and he was more of an attacking midfielder. He doesn’t fit the mold of a Newcastle number nine. Historically, this role has been held by legends like Shearer, Macdonald, Ferdinand, and Cole. What I’m trying to say is that neither Woltemade nor Wissa embody the true essence of a Newcastle number nine.”