It’s been a summer when the club has been repeatedly disrespected, but it won’t last. The club is heading in the right direction.
When it eventually happened for Newcastle United, it was fast.
This summer, the club has stretched and strained to bring a striker to the club, but has consistently failed.
Moves for Benjamin Sesko, Liam Delap, Bryan Mbeumo, Joao Pedro, and Hugo Ekitike ended with the players joining other clubs.
This situation was made worse because star striker Alexander Isak refused to play for the Magpies in a desperate attempt to force through a move to Liverpool.
Strikerless for the start of the Premier League season, manager Eddie Howe has been forced to deploy wideman Anthony Gordon as a false 9.
He subsequently got a red card against Liverpool, leaving the team with no one.
So, it came as a massive relief for Newcastle United that it was able to seal a deal for Germany international Nick Woltemade in a matter of days.
The $93 million record signing is all the more impressive considering his main suitors all summer were Bayern Munich, which had three bids rejected.
Given how heavily the stench of rejection has hung in the air at St James’ Park, it was unsurprising that Woltemade’s first quotes were effusive about his only having eyes for North East England.
«I’m really happy to be at this amazing club», he told the club’s official site, «from the first contact, I felt like the club really wanted me and had big plans for me.
«It’s a big step in my life to leave Germany but everybody has welcomed me so well and it already feels like family. I have a really good feeling from speaking to the head coach that this is the right place for me to find my best level.
