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Eddie Howe reveals what was to blame for 'IDIOTIC' Nick Woltemade spend
Tom Weber
- Updated: 30 Sept 2025 21:42 BST
- 4 min read
News
Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe has hit back at Bayern chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge for his explosive comments on Nick Woltemade.
The Germany international joined the Magpies in a surprising move late in the summer window. Woltemade had been chased by Bayern all summer, but his former club Stuttgart insisted that he was not for sale unless an exorbitant amount of money was paid.
Bayern made a couple of offers but were ultimately unwilling to match their Bundesliga rivals' demands. Woltemade started the season as a Stuttgart player, and the expectation was that he would stay put until summer 2026.
Current ETV
Nick Woltemade
F (C)
Newcastle
Nick Woltemade
F (C)
Newcastle
ETV Range
€33.3M - €40.7M
However, the situation completely changed when Newcastle came out of the blue and put a hefty fee on the table. The St. James' Park club had become desperate after missing out on several targets and agreed to match Stuttgart's demands.
The exact value of the deal has been the subject of debate, with reports ranging from €75 million to €95m. Regardless of the precise fee, it was a record transfer for Newcastle for a still relatively unproven player.
Howe bites back at Rummenigge
Given the money involved, Bayern have been quick to assert that they have no regrets over missing out on Woltemade, and board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge took things perhaps too far when he branded Newcastle 'idiots' for paying that much for the striker on Monday.
This has now prompted a response from Magpies boss Eddie Howe, who claims that 'market forces' dictated the money paid for Woltemade. "The market forces dictate transfer fees, not necessarily any one club," he said. "We're very pleased to have Nick with us.
"I think he's started very strongly in what's been a difficult period for him because he's thrust straight into action, no training time with us, really, of any note and I think he's done really, really well, so we're really pleased to have him with us and the transfer fee, for me, is absolutely irrelevant.
"I don't think he's that kind of character," Howe added when asked if his price tag could weigh down the 23-year-old. "I don't think he necessarily over-thinks things too much, which is a really big strength. What he's going to be judged on is how he performs in the team and what he gives to the club going forward."
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