Why Woltemade desperately needs to deliver for Newcastle against Barcelona

[p][b][i][a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4LEQkivDZ6J7FxDve6XlcA?si=pCpHDDhQTJGbiSlvI1LLdg" target="_blank"]Listen to the article with Spotify.[/a][/i][/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/woltemade-nick/4YDUd1at/"]Woltemade[/a] was one of the headline transfers of the summer of 2025.[/p][p]In top form with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vfb-stuttgart/nJQmYp1B/"]Stuttgart[/a], the 23-year-old German was close to joining [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayern-munich/nVp0wiqd/"]Bayern Munich[/a], but ultimately pulled out due to his club’s escalating demands. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/newcastle-utd/p6ahwuwJ/"]Newcastle[/a] seized the opportunity and paid €75 million (£65m) to secure his signature. It’s a huge fee for a striker who had scored 17 goals and provided three assists in 33 matches across all competitions.[/p][p]Having become an international, Woltemade arrived late in the transfer window and started strongly, netting four goals in his first five Premier League games.[/p][p]Since then, he’s only managed three more. In the Champions League, he’s stuck on a single goal, one against Union Saint-Gilloise on matchday two.[/p][h2]Replaced up top[/h2][p]He remains a starter, but Howe no longer consistently plays him as a number nine. [/p][p]Against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/qarabag-agdam/Qgd3eSin/"]Qarabag[/a] in the play-offs, he was used as an attacking midfielder. His stats were unimpressive: no goals, no assists, even though Newcastle scored nine times.[/p][image alt="Woltemade's touches against Qarabag" id="976c3d75-faba-4617-8992-bb34c8130afa" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="6da42900-a978-486d-9e62-dd0b7092123d" original-width="768" original-height="1152" /][p]In the league against Everton and in the FA Cup against Manchester City, he played behind the striker. Between those two games, he had to withdraw from the squad to face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]Manchester United[/a]. Of the three matches, that was the only one Newcastle won.[/p][p]His situation is often compared to Joelinton, who was bought for €43.5 million (£40m) from Hoffenheim in 2019 as a striker, before Steve Bruce moved him back into a double pivot.[/p][h2]Statement needed[/h2][p]Woltemade has been overtaken up front by Anthony Gordon, a winger who’s regularly played centrally and is thriving in the Champions League with 10 goals (including four in the first leg against Qarabag) and two assists in 10 games.[/p][p]With debate raging over how best to use him, the German needs to deliver a standout performance in the round of 16 to win over the Magpies’ fans and dispel the doubts surrounding him.[/p][p]Facing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona/SKbpVP5K/"]Barcelona[/a] is undoubtedly the perfect stage to make his mark, especially with the World Cup approaching. It’s also his last chance this season to prove he’s a bankable player - a status that could quickly fade if he doesn’t bounce back.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/barcelona-SKbpVP5K/newcastle-p6ahwuwJ/?mid=pC3kZYup"]Follow Newcastle vs Barcelona with Flashscore[/a][/h2]