The summer transfer saga at St James’ Park has taken a dramatic twist. Newcastle United are on the brink of smashing their transfer record to bring in Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart — a move that all but signals Alexander Isak’s time on Tyneside may be drawing to a close.
The 22-year-old German striker is expected to touch down in the North East tonight before undergoing a medical on Friday. Newcastle will pay an initial £64.86m (€75m), with a further £4.3m (€5m) in performance-related add-ons. That takes the overall package to just over £69m — eclipsing the £63m fee the club spent to lure Isak three years ago.
Woltemade’s arrival appears to tick the final box in Newcastle’s transfer strategy: finding a capable successor before sanctioning Isak’s exit. The Swede has made his intentions clear by refusing to play this season, and his next destination looks increasingly likely to be Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have tracked Isak all summer and even saw a £110m plus add-ons bid rebuffed earlier in the window. With fewer than four days left before deadline day, the Reds are now preparing what would be a British-record offer to finally prise him away.
For Newcastle, the equation is straightforward: with Woltemade secured, the door is open. For Liverpool, the challenge is to move decisively and meet Newcastle’s valuation before the window slams shut.
As the Magpies prepare to unveil their new star, all eyes turn to Anfield. The ball is now in Liverpool’s court — and the clock is ticking.
