Newcastle United Loan Star ‘Not Ready Yet’ Believes Journalist | OneFootball

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Italian journalist Francesco Oppini believes that Newcastle United loanee Nick Woltemade is ‘not ready yet’ to show his best for Juventus.

Newcastle spent heavily to secure Woltemade’s signature last summer, but the German eventually failed to live up to expectations and lost his place in the starting eleven under then-manager Eddie Howe, who even experimented with him in midfield.

Woltemade was the subject of interest from several clubs before Juventus secured his services on a temporary basis on deadline day, despite a Bundesliga outfit making a late attempt to hijack the deal.

The German striker has received encouragement from Juventus team-mate and Tottenham Hotspur loanee Guglielmo Vicario, who has backed him to make a major impact in Italy.

The 24-year-old has been impressed by Luciano Spalletti since arriving in Turin, with the hitman speaking highly of the Juventus head coach and believing he can thrive under his guidance.

The forward has made three Serie A appearances for the Bianconeri so far, all from the bench, and is yet to register a goal contribution in the league.

Oppini praised Woltemade for his movement despite the limited game time he has had so far, highlighting his ability to drive the team forward and win fouls.

The Italian journalist believes that the striker is more effective with the ball at his feet than in the air and feels he should be used as a lone forward, while stressing that he is not yet ready to perform at his best.

Speaking on TMW Radio (via Tutto Juve), he said: “He hasn’t played much yet, I like the way he moves, he pushes the team forward and gets fouled a lot.

“He’s stronger with his feet than his head, he needs to play alone up front.

“He’s not ready yet today.”

Woltemade will now shift his focus to international duty, having been included in Germany’s Nations League squad by former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

However, the striker will also want to get back to scoring ways for Juventus after the international break.

The Newcastle loanee has been urged to become ‘significantly more ruthless’ in front of goal if he is to make his mark at Juventus.