Saudi-backed Newcastle sign Woltemade in club record deal

Saudi-backed Newcastle sign Woltemade in club record deal
Nick Woltemade came through Werder Bremen’s academy and became their youngest Bundesliga debutant in 2020 at the age of 17. (AFP)
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Updated 30 August 2025

Saudi-backed Newcastle sign Woltemade in club record deal

Saudi-backed Newcastle sign Woltemade in club record deal
  • British media reports the agreement is worth $93.21 million

LONDON: The Saudi-backed Newcastle United have signed German forward Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart in a club-record deal, the Premier League club said on Saturday.

Financial details were not revealed but British media reported that the deal was worth £69 million( $93.21 million).

The 23-year-old’s deal eclipses the £63 million Newcastle paid for Sweden striker Alexander Isak three years ago when he became the club’s most expensive player.

Woltemade came through Werder Bremen’s academy and became their youngest Bundesliga debutant in 2020 at the age of 17. He joined Stuttgart last year and scored 17 goals in 33 appearances across all competitions

With Isak unavailable as he pushes for a move to Liverpool, Woltemade may have to adapt quickly and make an impact.

“We are delighted to get Nick’s signing over the line so quickly. He fits the profile for exactly what we have been looking for to add to our attacking options,” manager Eddie Howe said.

“He’s strong in a lot of areas — he has great technical ability and has proven himself to be a real threat in one of Europe’s top leagues — but he’s also still at an age where he has plenty of room to develop and grow here.”

Capped twice by Germany, the 1.98-meter forward has been called up for the World Cup qualifiers against Slovakia and Northern Ireland in September.

“It’s a big step in my life to leave Germany but everybody has welcomed me so well and it already feels like family,” Woltemade said.

“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 ... From the first contact, I felt like the club really wanted me and had big plans for me.”


Battling Barcelona earn 3-3 draw in thriller against Brugge

Battling Barcelona earn 3-3 draw in thriller against Brugge
Updated 8 sec ago

Battling Barcelona earn 3-3 draw in thriller against Brugge

Battling Barcelona earn 3-3 draw in thriller against Brugge
  • Barcelona found their equalizer in the 77th minute when Yamal lifted a cross into the box and defender Seys headed the ball into his own net when trying to clear

BRUGES, Belgium: Barcelona fought back three times to snatch a 3-3 draw at Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday, equalising for the final time late in the game with an own goal from 20-year-old Belgium defender Joaquin Seys.
Barcelona are now 11th in the standings on seven points from four matches while Club Brugge sit 22nd on four points, with both teams still in the hunt for qualification.
In a thriller at Brugge’s Jan Breydel Stadium, the home side opened the scoring through Nicolo Tresoldi in the sixth minute, after a quick counter by Carlos Forbs that exposed the vulnerability of Barcelona’s high defense.
The 21-year-old jet-heeled Portuguese forward controlled a long ball in his stride to beat the offside trap up the right channel before bursting into the box and crossing low for Tresoldi to score with a tidy finish past the goalkeeper.
Barcelona hit right back with Ferran Torres from close range two minutes later but Brugge regained the lead in the 17th minute with Forbs scoring after another quick counter.
In an end-to-end encounter with both sides creating several chances, Jules Kounde struck the crossbar in the 27th minute as Barcelona tried to find the equalizer, while Ferran Torres missed from close range right before the break.

FRANTIC FINALE
Barcelona keeper Wojciech Szczesny made a stunning save early in the second half when Seys entered the penalty box in a counter-attack and struck a bullet shot from close range that the veteran Polish keeper blocked away brilliantly.
Barca defender Eric Garcia almost scored in the 59th minute with a thunderous strike from long range that exploded off the crossbar but it was teenager Lamine Yamal who scored a brilliant individual goal one minute later to level the match again. However, it took Club Brugge only two minutes to get back the lead, with Forbs scoring from another counter-attack, beating Barcelona’s high defense again for the umpteenth time before chipping a tidy finish round Szczesny into the net.
Barcelona found their equalizer in the 77th minute when Yamal lifted a cross into the box and defender Seys headed the ball into his own net when trying to clear.
There was more drama as Brugge thought they had scored the winner in added time through Romeo Vermant, thanks to what looked to have been a massive blunder by Szczesny. But the VAR video review ruled out the goal as the forward fouled the keeper in his effort to recover the ball, helping Barca rescue a point.
“They have created a lot of danger on the counter-attack and we should have done much better everywhere,” a visibly frustrated Ferran Torres told Movistar Plus.
“It seemed like that with two passes they were already in our box. We have to find ways to improve. The team reacted well, we had a lot of chances. But when you’re behind... It’s tough.”