Newcastle sign Nick Woltemade: Which players have rejected the Toon this summer? | OneFootball

There can be no denying that Newcastle United’s summer transfer window has been an unmitigated disaster.

The ongoing Alexander Isak saga has been a PR problem while also leaving the Toon Army woefully short of depth at the top end of the pitch. Add to that Anthony Gordon’s recent red card against Liverpool – the team in hot pursuit of Isak’s signature, no less – and it’s clear that the Magpies are in dire need of additional firepower.

Well, luckily for the St. James’ Park faithful, that firepower has been found in the form of young German striker Nick Woltemade. Newcastle have snapped up the 22-year-old for some £69m from Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart, a fee that has certainly raised more than a few eyebrows. The numbers don’t lie.

Have Newcastle overpaid for Woltemade?

According to the highly reputable Transfermarkt, the fee paid by Eddie Howe and Co. is a whopping €55m more than the German international’s valuation. Bayern Munich were interested in signing the player, but they were unwilling to meet Stuttgart’s valuation. Whether it’s shrewd business or desperation wrapped in Saudi-backed financial muscle, Newcastle have paid the fee requested, and now they will have to wait and see whether it’s money well spent or overpaying for a relatively unproven German forward.

The Woltemade signing is the latest in a long line of trials and tribulations for Tyneside this summer, but even so, online betting sites haven’t written Newcastle off completely just yet. The latest odds from the popular Bovada betting site make the Magpies a 13/8 contender to finish in the top five for the second straight season. If they manage to live up to the billing, and if their new German hitman hits the ground running, then the 2025/26 campaign certainly will have been a success.

As of right now, though, the summer hasn’t been. The Magpies entered this transfer window with grand ambitions, flush with confidence after their dramatic Champions League qualification and Carabao Cup triumph last term. Yet what has unfolded has been a masterclass in how even infinite wealth cannot guarantee success in football’s ruthless marketplace.

The Woltemade signing represents the culmination of a summer that exposed Newcastle’s fundamental problem: money talks, but legacy shouts louder. Here are all the players who have rejected a move to the North-East this season.

The great rejection tour begins

Hugo Ekitike represented their most ambitious pursuit. The French striker, carrying an inflated price tag following a breakout year with Eintracht Frankfurt, embodied everything Eddie Howe craved – pace that terrorises Premier League defences, finishing ability that turns half-chances into goals, and versatility that makes tactical systems sing. Despite Isak being their number one target, Liverpool swooped, with their £69m bid not only securing Ekitike’s signature but delivering a brutal message: being Premier League champions still trumps Saudi billions.

Benjamin Sesko’s rejection stung differently. The RB Leipzig striker was a wanted man this summer, and his potential addition represented intelligent recruitment, a player entering his prime with the physical tools to dominate English football. Manchester United’s allure proved decisive, with the Slovenian striker choosing Old Trafford’s storied history over St. James’ Park’s promising future. The decision highlighted the club’s core dilemma: they’re building something special, but “something” isn’t enough when competing against “everything.”

Bryan Mbeumo’s snub felt particularly cruel. Brentford’s highly-rated winger possessed exactly what Eddie Howe’s system demanded – direct running, creative spark, and Premier League experience. He, too, however, headed to Old Trafford, with his £65m move to the Red Devils not just another rejection but a confirmation that Newcastle’s project, however promising, couldn’t compete with established giants offering immediate European competition.

Defensive disaster

Dean Huijsen’s decision to join Real Madrid rather than Newcastle in a £50m move from Bournemouth perhaps shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise. When Los Blancos – the record 15-time European champions – come knocking, players tend to head to the Bernabeu. Especially when said player is a Spanish international.

The James Trafford saga provided perhaps the summer’s most humiliating moment. The Toon had agreed a £31m fee with Burnley for the goalkeeper, believing they’d finally secured a crucial signing. Then Manchester City exercised their matching clause, and Trafford returned to the Etihad without hesitation.

Cascade continues

Joao Pedro chose Chelsea’s chaotic rebuild over Newcastle’s methodical progression. Liam Delap, available for just £30m due to Ipswich’s relegation clause, also preferred Stamford Bridge, despite the Magpies leading the race for months. Matheus Cunha’s decision to join Manchester United added another name to the growing list of “what could have beens.”

Mohammed Kudus’s situation encapsulated the entire summer. The West Ham attacker, coveted by multiple Premier League giants, eventually joined Tottenham for £55m, a full £30m below his release clause. Newcastle watched Spurs secure a bargain while they continued paying premiums for lesser targets.

Each rejection created its own micro-drama, but collectively, they painted a devastating portrait of a club struggling with its identity in football’s hierarchy. All of that, though, will count for very little if Eddie Howe delivers another impressive season in which the Toon Army continues to gatecrash the Premier League elite.