Woltemade shows again why Newcastle were this summer’s big transfer winners as record v Isak is compared | OneFootball

Towering striker Nick Woltemade showed once again why Newcastle’s money men played an absolute blinder on the transfer market as he scored twice more in Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Chelsea, with his record comparing very favourably to the man he replaced, Alexander Isak.

Just six days ago, Woltemade was the pantomime villain of the Wear-Tyne derby as the giant striker’s unfortunate own goal earned Sunderland local bragging rights as they edged out Newcastle 1-0 at the Stadium of Light in a frantic affair. So enamoured were the Mackems by the victory, they even made a derogatory chant celebrating the giant German’s misfortune in heading past Aaron Ramsdale into his own net. Football fans really can be brutal!

But the 23-year-old from Bremen is made of stern stuff.

While several big-name striker signings have taken their time to settle in the Premier League this season – let’s take Benjamin Sesko (£73m to Manchester United; two goals so far), Viktor Gyokeres (£63.5m to Arsenal; six goals to date) and of course Isak (£130m to Liverpool; two goals as I write) – Woltemade has outscored them all.

Now 23 games into his Newcastle career, the 6ft 6in frontman has 10 goals to his name; one every 202 minutes he’s been on the field this season.

His two strikes against Chelsea on Saturday afternoon showcased why he is Newcastle’s go-to man and new goals talisman. The king is dead, long live the king!

Granted, Woltemade could and should have scored more; the German missed two big chances to add to his first-half double before the break, before spurning another half-chance after the break.

On another day, he could have gone home with the match ball, but while Chelsea hit back to deny Eddie Howe’s side a precious win, few could blame ‘Big Nick’ for their failure to do so…

But how does the German’s record compare to Isak’s over the first 22 games of this season vs the Swede’s over the same duration and in his three-year stint at St James’?

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Woltemade 2025/26 record vs Isak 2022/23, 23/24 and 24/25

Isak arrived on Tyneside in summer 2022 for a fee of £63m, a fee which stood as their record fee until Woltemade’s arrival this summer for £69m.

Quickly making himself at home in new surroundings, Isak smashed in a glorious goal on debut for the Magpies at Anfield – perhaps laying down the early signs of a future that lay ahead.

In those first 23 games of that season – punctuated by a three-month absence with a thigh injury – Isak had an impressive 10 goals to his name – one more than Woltemade so far.

The following season, Isak had 14 goals within that same 23-game window as he really started to hit the straps and show opposing defenders what he was about.

By 2024/25 – his final season at St James’ Park – that tally had swelled to 17, form that, effectively earned him that move to Anfield.

Since the switch to Merseyside, though, Isak’s form has fallen off a cliff; the pressure of the big-money move, coupled with the lack of a regular pre-season biting him hard.

There was understandable anger at the way Isak forced his move out of the club. Even today, some three months on, chants against him can be heard from the terraces.

However, having brought in Woltemade as his replacement, the German has shown enough in his early career on Tyneside to show that he can be another massive striker success. The Geordies love a big number nine, and while that’s not the number on his back, he has shown the necessary attributes so far to suggest that Newcastle really did win the transfer market this summer by offloading Isak and signing Woltemade in his place, and all while banking a tidy net profit across the two deals of £61m.

Continue as he has so far, Woltemade should break the 20-goal barrier for Newcastle this season, and you do wonder how long it will be before he too starts seeing his name linked with some of Europe’s biggest sides.

That’s not a concern for Newcastle, though, right now and they can hopefully enjoy Big Nick for several more years yet and amid the promise that the best is yet to come…

Newcastle round-up: Bayern star linked; talks held with Portuguese midfielder

Meanwhile, the representatives of a Bayern Munich defender are talking to several clubs ahead of the January window, and he is on track to move to England in January amid interest from Newcastle United and Crystal Palace, we can reveal.

Elsewhere, our sources have revealed that Newcastle, Man Utd and Tottenham Hotspur have all discussed a potential deal for a 63-times capped Portugal star desperate to move back to the Premier League in 2026.

The player’s stance on a move, as well as when a deal could happen, have also emerged.

Finally, Howe has been given guarantees over his Newcastle future following the somewhat frustrating form so far this season.

Saturday’s point against Chelsea leaves Newcastle down in 11th place, some seven points shy of the top four ahead of the rest of this weekend’s fixtures.